Singing in Gaelic takes Scottish music into an older, lovelier place, and Kathleen MacInnes does it perfectly on this debut. With a deliciously smoky voice she covers a wide range of material, not all of it traditional. The familiar ballad “Twa Corbies,” however, is well known, but rarely performed as achingly as this, as MacInnes captures the waste it all brings. But nowhere does it become as personal as on “Oran Dhomhnaill Phadraig,” a piece written (not by her) for her father, and sung with a rare, gorgeous grace. There’s plenty of Scottish history, too, like “A Mhic Iain ‘Ic Sheumais,” about the 1601 battle of Carinish. Backed by some top-notch musicians, MacInnes fronts everything in an easy, warm but stately manner, which leaves you wondering why she waited so long to go into the studio. On the basis of this, you hope new CDs from her will now come thick and fast. – Chris Nickson
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