Under One Sky - Under One Sky

To the average punter having just listened to Sportsound on Radio Scotland in its entirety only to find themselves inadvertently caught in the midst of some fiddle-soaked hootenanny afterwards, this album might well come across as stereotypical Scottish folk fare. Masterminded by Scottish composer John McCusker, its stab at alternative credibility comes with the inclusion of some prominent UK indie rock figures, including Roddy Woomble and Graham Coxon. There are hints of unconventionality throughout, but the general impression is that this music is still very much targeted at folk fans and seems unlikely to convert many to its ceilidh-driven ways. Woomble's cameo on Long Time Past/Lavender Hill provides the album's highlight. Its slower pace is seductive and the Idlewild frontman's vocal lines are well-considered and engaging. It seems a shame that the mixing of genres wasn't a little more even-handed, making this feel like something of a missed opportunity. [Austin Tasseltine]