Salt House HUAM (Scots for ‘the call of an owl’). Hudson Records

The new album from Salt House sees them solidify their reputation as fine interpreters of words both old and new. ‘Huam’, (Scots for “the call of an owl”) is their third collection of songs, and the second pairing with producer Andy Bell. Songs are central to Salt House. New songs that sound as if they’ve always been here. Ancient ballads woken up. Poems given the tunes they’ve long deserved. Songs about place, politics, landscape and birds.

The trio continue their love of recording ‘on location’ with this album, taking themselves to rural Argyllshire to finish writing and recording the songs which were crafted between their homes of Inverness-shire and Shetland. Singer, guitarist and harmonium player Jenny has a PHD in seabirds. Described by R2 Magazine as “a singer-songwriter who brings together the old and new with a rare skill.” Her songs are earthy and wise; she sings them with beauty and power. Singer and guitarist Ewan brings to Salt House a wealth of understanding and experience gained from collaboration with musicians from all corners of the scene. His songs are poetic and layered; his voice plaintive and from the heart. Fiddler, viola player and vocalist Lauren’s arrangements hold a rich, deep, darkness flecked with gold. You can hear the Highlands in Lauren’s elegant bowing, and a knowledge of how to weave around a narrative. She plays with warmth, wisdom and soul.

You’ll also hear echoes of Pentangle, a touch of Dick Gaughan, murmurs of Scandinavian and Scots, all woven into a music that’s traditional and new. The group’s meticulous attention to detail, shared passions and care for their craft sees Salt House soar.

Review

I have to admit I am not the greatest fan of traditional English folk music. However, in recent years ‘new folk’ has emerged mixing the best of the new and the best of the old. Salt House has added a third dimension which is the Scottish Celt flavour. The end result is an album that can stand up in any company and has enough pure beauty to add many more to the growing cohort of fans for the genre.

‘Fire Light’ opens the record with a traditional poem adapted by Nan Shepherd, with music by Jenny Sturgeon and arrangement by the band. The song is dominated by the more gentle and fragile female vocal and underpinned by a superb melody. Ewan MacPherson wrote and sings the next track, ‘All Shall Be Still’. The song wanders along like tumbling mountain stream and takes you with it. The melody is strong, the instrumental arrangement mesmerising and the vocal is compelling and expressive.

‘Mountain Of Gold’ features the three band members singing a moving set of lyrics revolving around nature. It possesses a hymn-like quality and is one of my personal highlights here. ‘William and Elsie’ is a more traditional composition adapted from the Danish ballad ‘Aage And Elsie’. The strings add a special poignancy to this more upbeat track. ‘Hope Is The Thing With Feathers’ is by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) with music by Salt House. It is the most stripped back song here with just a plucked violin adding a sparse back drop to the choral vocals. MacPherson feature again with ‘If I Am Lucky’ which he both wrote and sings. It’s a more modern sounding track with moving lyrics and the most subtle of backing vocals. The instrumental arrangement is beautifully judged with strings adding to the emotional mix.

‘The Disquiet’ featuring Sturgeon is another more modern take with harmonium dominating anotehr extraordinaryilly beautiful song. It’s another favourite with viola popping up in the middle-8 to add drama. ‘The Same Land’ features Sturgeon again as she decries the catastrophic state of the world. It’s another strong highlight here with a melody that stays in the head and a more novel instrumental arrangement. ‘Union Of Crows’ rounds off one of the most moving and beautiful albums I’ve heard this year. Essential.

4.5/5

https://www.salthousemusic.com/

More about the band:

Singer, guitarist and harmonium player Jenny has a PHD in seabirds. Described by R2 Magazine as “a singer-songwriter who brings together the old and new with a rare skill.” Her songs are earthy and wise; she sings them with beauty and power. Singer and guitarist.

Ewan brings to Salt House a wealth of understanding and experience gained with the highly respected Fribo and Shooglenifty. His songs are poetic and layered; his voice plaintive and from the heart. Fiddler, viola player and vocalist.

Lauren’s arrangements hold a rich, deep, darkness flecked with gold. You can hear the Highlands in Lauren’s elegant bowing, honed while performing with the quartet RANT, The Rachel Newton Band and as a prolific and award-winning soloist. She plays with warmth, wisdom and soul.​

Ewan MacPherson - vocals, guitars
Jenny Sturgeon - vocals, harmonium, guitar
Lauren MacColl - fiddle, viola, vocals