Calum Alex Macmillan is a Scottish Gaelic singer and piper with classy band history with Dàimh and Mary Ann Kennedy’s Na Siod. His solo album Till (the word means ‘return’) is a remarkable achievement.
I’d characterize his niche on this album as ”Gaelic singer-songwriter”; the musical style and the sparse but very effective arrangements are not in the strictest classic Scottish trad idiom, but the melodies and his heartfelt singing strongly reflect the Scottish tradition and spirit. The tunes are compelling and atmospheric and the whole is mesmerizing, whether you understand Gaelic lyrics or not. The music and the artist’s warm presence easily carry the project and in this respect, comparisons with the Gaelic crossover success of Julie Fowlis (who also guests on the album) are not out of place and I’m very much looking forward to the next one!
Till is available as very affordable HQ download on the Calum’s Bandcamp site. Also as CD/download/streaming on Amazon and streaming on Spotify and iTunes / Apple Music
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