When you have been together for almost 30 years, as Altan have, it’s easy to run out of fresh ideas. The trad stalwarts have tried to dodge that particular problem by decamping to Nashville to record their 12th studio album. It features an array of guest stars, from dobro player Jerry Douglas to vocalists Eddi Reader and Mary Chapin Carpenter. For the most part, their fusion of gentle trad reels with bluegrass and Appalachian folk is charming, particularly on Buffalo Gals and the sombre intonations of The House Carpenter. The envelope might have been pushed a little further in places, but generally this is eminently easy listening.
ALTAN
The widening gyre
Compass