A very impressive debut. These RSAMD students hail from Orkney and Penicuik respectively, and won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2008. In a genre where vocals are often an afterthought, they excel in that department, both in Miller's lovely lead singing and in their beautifully judged harmony vocals.
Their interpretations of traditional songs (including some unusual variants) like Time Wears Awa', Mad Tom of Bedlam (aka Bedlam Boys), Mild Mary (a version of Four Marys) and a north-east take on The Parting Glass (live from the BBC award ceremony) have an appealing freshness and vitality, while the more contemporary material is equally well-chosen. Leslie is a fine fiddler, and the instrumental sets – augmented by a number of session guests – are far from fillers. A likely contender when the album of the year lists are put together..