A gorgeous debut album offering from the talented Lauren Collier.

Release Date: 15th December 2023

Label: Close Press Records

Format: Digital/CD

Lauren Collier is no stranger to the Scots Trad music scene, her clean cut, dynamic fiddle style and ethereal vocals leaving their mark at every gig, festival and performance.  She has a masters in Traditional Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under her belt and has travelled the world collecting ideas and sounds; inspired by the eclectic settings and perspectives she has explored.

Lauren doesn’t fail to deliver with her highly anticipated debut album. This über talented musician hailing from Irvine, Scotland, pulls out all the stops to bring us on a magical sonic journey breathing in the landscapes of Indonesia, Sweden, Haiti and Greece.  Her physical travels have enabled Lauren to explore various musical inspirations from around the globe and she expertly weaves them into her music.

Accompanied by well know virtuoso’s in their own rights, Calum Muir (guitars and synths), Paul Jennings (drums and percussion), James Lindsay (bass and moog) and Ross Ainslie (bansuri and whistles), the group come together perfectly; they expertly add just what is necessary to bring Lauren’s songs and tunes to fulfilment. Rising and falling with emotion, frailty and strength, light and dark, the juxtapositions presented within this album are glorious and keep you enthralled.  One thing that shines through is Lauren’s clean and highly accomplished fiddle technique and performance; her playing is glorious, full of meaning, accuracy and rhythmically flawless.

The opening track Padangai entices you in with its ethereal and relaxing timbre, the pace quickens and you feel yourself start to gently move in time with the music, then the fiddle enters, buoyant and lively, an unbroken melody expertly executed. The bar is set high for the rest of the album.  You can drift along with this graceful and bright tune, absorbing its unwavering rhythm into your body. The track has a triumphant feel towards the end and leaves you feeling both lifted and already in love. 

We glide into Kouman Not Ye with a similar relaxed start.  When Lauren’s vocals enter we witness how expertly she’s able to deliver a beautiful song, her voice crystal clear. Watch or listen out for Ali Hutton on this one too.  She impressively delivers this song in Haitian Creole which becomes a theme within the album and is not something often heard so expertly done. With the addition of the fiddle, percussion, bass and whistle this song brings a world music vibe and again the body sways with the ripples of the energy created in this piece. 

The lively Rhesus Macaque has a definite klezmer feel to it, this short soiree into the Balkans is a lovely addition as we start to wind towards the end. The last track, Uddevalla, really takes you home; a time to look inwards, calm and reflective, the gentle fiddle playing easing you towards the conclusion of this gorgeous offering.  The track becomes more energised towards the end, a sublime finale to what is a really exemplary album. 

This is a most joyous of albums to listen to on repeat; the music washes over you and through you as if in musical meditation. The musicianship is sublime, the production clean and open, the multi-cultural tones welcoming and absorbing.  Lauren is a performer of the highest quality and standard, she dazzles on every track, the flawless musicianship of her accompanists ensure she delivers a really superb record of the highest standard throughout.

Lauren Collier online: Website / Facebook / Instagram

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