Named after his boyhood home in Coylton, Ayrshire "Ingleneuk" is Hector Gilchrist's third album on Wild
Goose. Hector is, of course, familiar to many from his several years as a performer on the folk scene at clubs and festivals, as a solo performer or as half of the duo Selkie with Liz Thompson.
His latest album slips easily between traditional songs, such as "Corn Rigs" and "Fair Helen o' Kirkconnel", and singer-songwriter fare as represented by the two Janis Ian tracks - "Getting Over You" and "Shadow". A highlight is the version of Davy Steele's "Last Trip Home" with some lovely accordion work from Jonny Dyer on it. Hector has chosen many personal favourite songs with a wide sweep of subject matter - from a lockkeeper in Canada, to watching the Clydesdale horses on farms in the '50's,
but in each song Hector's mellow, laid-back vocals are given able and sensitive support by Paul Sartin, Steve Poole and in particular the afore-mentioned Jonny Dyer and Vicki Swan, whose small pipes and flute playing are a highlight.
As usual with Wild Goose recordings the CD comes with informative notes about each of the songs
Jonathan Roscoe
Shire Folk (11 January 2008)
