As long as the waves strike a beach or shore

Capercaillie's much-delayed new album, Roses And Tears has finally been released; the original promo title, "Call It A Day" led to speculation that it would be their last, although there's been no official word either way.

The album's songs are mostly in Gaelic, with the exceptions of a Donald Shaw original and a beautiful version of John Martyn's "Don't You Go". My favourite has to be "Seinneam cliu nam fear ur (I sing the praises of the brave lads)"; I first heard a clip in August last year and have been desperate for a full HQ version ever since. Michael McGoldrick's piping on the song is just fantastic and very evocative, and Karen's vocals are just beautiful, even if (or perhaps even more so) if you have little or no Gaelic.

Elsewhere, "Him Bo (I Am In Distress)" is very groovy and singalongable; "a racan a bh'againne (The Drake We Used To Have)" is laidback but still danceable.

Roses and Tears is the first Capercaillie album which strongly reminds me of another; it's still very good, but has a similar laidback feeling to their last album "Choice Language", except RaT has less of a dark, melancholy feel. A progression, but a predictable one.

'Don't You Go' (mp3)
'Seinneam cliu nam fear ur' (mp3)
'Him Bo" (mp3)
'A Racan a bh'againne' (mp3)