Customer Reviews

Rohallion

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This is a must for those who want to shake off the woolly socks of folk and catch the swing end of the train. Lithe blithe settings of original material, with a full sound. Definately not tartan and shortbread, but good, topical, resonant songs. Great for a long car journey.

Jim Malcolm is regarded as one of the leading new songwriters in Scotland and he is complimented here by a strong band with some creative arrangements. The songs are topical and, in some cases, very amusing -- "Hitching out of Oban" for example. This is music that can be listened to again and again with pleasure.

I first came into contact with Jim Malcolm's songwriting via The Poozies' rendition of "Neptune" from the sublime Infinite Blue album. My first impression was that it was beautifully worded -- the lyrics to that song could be read as poetry, so facile was the flow of words and so lovely the imagery -- and The Poozies' combination of moving, melodic arrangements and Kate Rusby's melancholy voice gave me a very good impression of the song. So I started to listen to Jim Malcolm's own recordings, and his writing on Rohallion does not disappoint. The man sure has a way with words, and his melodies are strong. However, the album hasn't touched me in the same way the Poozies track has -- Malcolm's low, even voice lacks dramatic flair, and his arrangements rarely build to any kind of emotional surge, resulting in expertly constructed tracks that are somewhat flat, a little too laid back for my taste. I still love the way he puts together a song, however.