Blackhouse (album)

Blackhouse is an entirely instrumental album, containing ten original tracks which are heavily influenced by traditional music.[18] Described by one reviewer as "eclectic with a capital 'E',"[19] there are many musical influences displayed on the album. One reviewer said that "on a base of predominantly Scottish tradition", the album is overlaid with inspirations from everywhere.[19] Jazz,[19] funk,[19] reggae[19] and dance music[19] influences "rub shoulders" with special effects and synths, tradition combines with visions, contemporary rocks along with heritage.[19] Tim Carroll of FolkWorlds said that "the result is a fusion the band has unequivocally made its own. A sound that’s distinctive and individual. Music that force-feeds tradition with a sizeable dose of invention," which shows "interaction between the band members."[19] Simon Jones of Spiral Earth called the album "fusion", where "intuitive roots meet dance floor/house beats with no small amount of craft and guile over the top. Their paths begin in Scots tradition the presence of fiddle, bagpipes and whistle never palls as the tracks lead them in myriad directions, sprinkling global colour and vibrancy all over the party."[2] Ian Campbell of The Living Tradition said that "the style is unmistakeable, lead bagpipes see to that, but the content is varied and always rhythmically inventive."[20]

According to David Kidman of Fatea Magazine, the absence of the band's previous brass section has "been the impetus for a fresh reappraisal of the exercise of group arrangement. Resulting in a tighter, somehow more intimate balance of elements, albeit a less expansive overall sound but one which draws the listener into the groove and locks it on down till the needle hits the runout. Both sensual and punchy - the time-honoured Peatbog hallmarks."[12] Alan Morley of UK Folk Music said the album was a "studio" album because the band "is able to be absolutely in control of the sonic delights which are woven into each track. It’s almost like painting with sound and should be listened to loud in a darkened room where the depth and resonance works its way into your body and the melodies attack your consciousness."[21]

The album features different keyboard effects.

Opening track "Is This Your Son?" features synths, drums and bagpipes[21] and "whooshing space-tech sounds".[18] It has been described as "ripping in on a wave of synthesised energy" and as soaring "into a tsunami of sound".[18] With this track, one reviewer says the album "explodes into life",[6] whilst another noted that "as the album opens you may be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled into a trendy nightclub with its layers of electronic percussion and keyboard effects. However, the entrance of the melody instruments will reassure you that this is indeed music that is rooted in tradition."[18] The second track "Jakes on a Plane" features a "faintly ominous" opening that morphs into a slowly languid dreamlike sequence.[19] It is a quieter track featuring "some tasty combinations of flue and fiddle for the melody line with an underlying presence of synth, bass and percussion,"[21] and highly contrasts with the first track with its "delightfully lyrical" nature.[20] "Tom in the Front" is a pipe-based composition[6] that carries an exotic world music feel.[22] "Angus & Joyce MacKay", dedicated by Morrison to his in-laws,[12] was described as being "more concerned with soundscapes and imagery than melody and dance" and as being "greatly enhanced" by Ross Couper's "soaring" fiddle.[6] The quiet mood of the song is continued by "The Real North",[18] described as laid back funk music.[19]

The second half begins with "Spider's", which had been an "ever popular" concert opener for approximately two years.[23] A dance tune, described as "communal rave",[12] it is "vigorous", "sprightly" and written in honour of one of Skye's liveliest ceilidh venues.[6] It contains a keyboard-laden "frenzy" of whistle and fiddle, and a "seductive beat,"[6] and breaks the pattern of the other tracks as it is led by the fiddle.[18] "The Dragon's Apprentice" is a thumping gait that one reviewer said feels "almost indecently inclusive and close-up, despite their preponderance of incidental instrumental detail."[12] Showing the "spookier side of expression",[19] it features "the various flavours that make up Peatbog Faeries; mix of pipes, electronics and flying fiddle solos, snake around a melody penned by nine year old Archie MacLean of Edinbane".[6] "The Ranch" features "Doors/Santana-for-the-21st century electric guitar and keyboards flourish, the essential character of fiddle, pipes and whistle tunesmithing shines through."[22] One reviewer said "Graeme Stafford's Hammond organ and Tom Salter’s forthright lead guitar are backed up by a solid drum and bass combination that would be at home on any Traffic album."[6] The final two tracks are "The Chatham Lassies" and "Strictly Sambuca" which had combined live during Ross Couper's live duets with guitarist Tom Oakes for quite some time.[6] For Blackhouse, "The Chatham Lassies" is reworked into an eight-minute composition that opens with the familiar and lively fiddle/acoustic guitar duet and skips along towards a more sedate pace, but with a full, rich sound."[6] Closing track "Strictly Sambuca," on the other hand, written after "tunes and wild craic" at the Lock Inn, Fort Augustus, is a nine-minute "party tune" featuring pulsing beats, strong trance credentials and a whirlwind of fiddle and pipe solos.[6] One reviewer called it perhaps the most exotic-sounding track on the disc, featuring a hypnotic quality with the melody instruments lower in the mix than in the other tracks.[18] Another review observed its "electro griddle" which takes time to blip and bounce along a funk guitar line hyping the groove and low whistle echoing spookily.[2]