Flower & Iron (Mad River Recordings/Greentrax, 2009)
Flower & Iron is the latest release by Malinky, which is one of the finest contemporary folk bands in Scotland. The band includes outstanding instrumentalists, some of which are also alluring vocalists (male and female), who sing in the Scottish dialect (Scottish English, not Gaelic). The song selection on Flower & Iron includes Scottish and Irish pieces with superb modern arrangements using conventional instruments such as fiddle, guitar, [wiki:bouzouki], whistles, flute and vocals. Instead of pipes the band uses instruments that are less common in current Scottish folk music: cello, jew’s harps and shruti box.
Malinky
Malinky was formed in Edinburgh in 1998 and soon made as mark in the British folk scene by winning the prestigious Danny Kyle Open Stage Award at the following year’s Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Two musicians remain members from that founding line-up – Steve Byrne (vocals/bouzouki/guitar) and Irish musician Mark Dunlop (vocals/ whistles/bodhrán). They are joined by Fiona Hunter (vocals/cello), who replaced original lead singer Karine Polwart in 2005, alongside recent recruits Englishman Dave Wood (guitar/bouzouki) and Mike Vass (fiddle).
Flower & Iron is now available in North America through Mad River Records. The group has three previous recordings, Last Leaves (2000), 3 Ravens (2002) and The Unseen Hours (2005), all on Greentrax.
On Flower & Iron, Malinky shows the extraordinary energy and vision of contemporary Scottish folk music.
Buy the CD:
- In North America: Flower & Iron. Other recordings available: The Unseen Hours, Last Leaves
- In Europe: Flower & Iron. Other recordings available: Three Ravens, The Unseen Hours, and Last Leaves
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
