FOLK

Fiddler Duncan Chisholm sees Wolfstone as a Highland rock band who happen to play fiddles and pipes, and the musical mix here bears out that emphasis. This new set on their own Once Bitten label (if you see that name as reflecting earlier harsh experiences with the music industry, you won’t be far wrong) is probably their strongest studio work to date, and comes closest to capturing their live sound.

For these ears, the band have never quite succeeded in fully integrating the two poles of their music, and that see-saw effect is apparent as they switch between Ross Hamilton’s contemporary rock vocals and highly-charged folky instrumental workouts, all driven by Alyn Cosker’s powerful drumming. That won’t trouble their world-wide fan base, though, and there is plenty prime Wolfstone here to enjoy.