Act: Brìghde Chaimbeul
Album: Carry Them With Us

How it sounds: Chaimbeul’s smallpipe album Carry Them With Us manages to be arresting, soothing, uncomfortable and cathartic at various stages throughout its rich 35 minutes. Created in partnership with multi-instrumentalist and film scorer Colin Stetson (Hereditary, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Menu), this is by far the most experimental record on this year’s SAY Award shortlist and beautifully showcases the avant-garde corners of Scottish traditional music. 

Foot-tapping folk melodies bounce and leap over sustained drones created by layering pipes over Chaimbeul’s own vocals, sometimes in harmony and other times more atonally. Mastering the concept of musical tension and release, Chaimbeul delicately breaks dissonance with the introduction of a steady drum beat or tuneful solo. Tracks like ‘'S Mi Gabhail an Rathaid (I Take the Road)’ introduce different textures into the mix, proving that raw instrumentation and electronic sensibilities can coexist effectively if balanced just right. But we can’t ignore this album’s main protagonist: the smooth and utterly captivating sound of Chaimbeul’s instrument and its many mood-bending frequencies. 

Top track: ''S Mi Gabhail an Rathaid (I Take the Road)’ opens with a stomping drum and looping melody before descending into a frenetic saxophone solo (presumably played by Stetson). 

Do you come here often?: Brìghde Chaimbeul’s 2019 album The Reeling received a SAY Award nomination.

Why Brìghde Chaimbeul should win: Carry Them With Us’ technical skill and creative freedom makes it a real stand-out on this year’s shortlist. 

The SAY Award winner will be announced on Thursday 26 October.