Celtic musicians dominated the BBC folk awards this year, even depriving Shirley Collins of an expected (and deserved) win. And here is another reminder of the vitality and confidence in the current Scottish folk scene. Saltfishforty are a duo from the Orkney islands who play fiddle and guitar, and kick off their new album with Whisky, a jaunty set of instrumental reels. That may sound predictable, but what makes Douglas Montgomery and Brian Cromarty distinctive is the quality of their playing and singing, and the way they weave other influences into the Scottish mix. Along with the fresh and often delicate instrumentals, there’s a rousing burst of prewar American swing by Buddy DeSylva, a country-edged weepie by the Canadian singer Old Man Luedecke and Orkney history lessons from Cromarty. I’m intrigued to learn that a short-eared owl is known locally as a cattie-face.
