Whether we understand the reference in the line, it sums up
Alasdair Roberts' approach as a singer and songwriter, now
halfway through its third decade. Down the years, he has
devoted himself to the history of traditional songs, playing them forward
into our ever-evolving world as their meanings continue to evolve within
him. Whether singing the auld songs, using inspiration from a line of
text, or taking a time-honoured air as a starting point to a new song, he
has pushed the tradition ahead in ways that few other singers and writers
have approached.
Since his first two solo releases, a collection of traditional songs followed by one of original material, Alasdair has followed this pattern
more or less over the course of a dozen albums. The Fiery Margin follows
2018's What News, a collaboration with David McGuinness and Amble
Skuse that took eight Scots ballads and focused them through the use of vintage
keyboards and modern electronic techniques to make something new that was also
in the tradition. Thus, The Fiery Margin is a new collection of originals, some of
which draw elements from the songs, singing and thought of the last couple millennia. With that scope in mind, it's safe to say there's something for everyone here!
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