Music diary, June 20, 2026
The Haas sisters are just something else. Natalie has become perhaps the foremost cellist in the folk music scene both in America and in Europe, known particularly for her long standing work with the legendary Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser.
Brittany has likewise made a great career that sees her among the leading fiddlers of modern folk music. When the sisters get together the results are lively, joyous, masterful and just a complete pleasure.
Having seen them perform together a couple of years ago, I can testify that they are even more delightful in the live situation than on recordings, but thankfully, most of that experience communicates also through their albums, of which there are now two. Their first recorded collaboration came out three years ago, in 2023, and now the sequel, North Node, has made its premier appearance.
Stylistically, the albums are so similar that it actually makes a lot of sense to play them back to back, especially if you haven’t listened to either one yet. If you’re familiar with the first, simply titled Haas, you will find the newcomer being very much cut from the same beautiful cloth.
North Node features the same mix or hybrid of American, Scandinavian and Celtic styles and influences as the previous album did. This is perfectly logical, as the sisters have collaborated widely with folk artists on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s possible that the new album leans just a wee bit more to the American side, but that may be just in my ears. The overall experience is pretty much the same as in the previous album.
What makes their music so enjoyable is not only their excellent compositions, but also, and perhaps foremost, the amazingly easy and dynamic synergy they create with each other – maybe the sisters have developed some kind of telepathic musical connection; at least it looked like that on stage when I saw them play live.
The music on this, and the previous album, does not reach for the kind of progressive neofolk that takes cues from contemporary classical music (an example of that is The Snake, Brittany’s recent collaboration with Sweden’s Lena Jonsson). This is more down to earth with roots deep in both American and Scandinavian traditional music.
I would not blame you if you felt that just putting this album on to play in the background to cheer you up and make you feel great would be a good idea. There are intricate moments here, to be sure, but on the whole, the source of this stuff is very much roots music. And it is played exceptionally, and the fiddle and the cello combo sound amazingly like a full band.
Being from and living in a Nordic country, my favorite tune here is The Noah Polska with its recognizable Scandinavian style. Also Box of Darkness, which comes across as perhaps the most ambitious piece on the album. Of the country music influenced tunes, my absolute favorite is Groundhog Hotel – it comes with a groove so catchy I cannot but tap my feet and smile 😊
FolkNotes 