Amy Duncan - Undercurrents (2016)

On Undercurrents Amy plays acoustic guitars, electric guitars, piano, keyboard and double bass. She’s joined once again by long-term collaborator Fiona Rutherford on harp, and it’s a combination that continues to provide engaging music. Add Calum Malcolm on production; Lawrie MacMillan (bass guitar), Liam Bradley (drums, percussion) and Scottish Chamber Orchestra musicians Sijie Chen (violin) Jane Atkins (viola) and Donald Gillan (cello) and we have an ensemble that can really do justice to Amy’s intricate songs and arrangements.

It’s often surprising how the softest of voices can command the most rapt attention. As the album opens, with The Good Life, Amy’s soft expressive voice does just that from the very outset. Backed by a combination of soft guitar and harp, there’s just enough keyboard and percussion to expand the sound and provide subtle harmonies without overpowering. That pairing of Amy’s guitar and Fiona’s harp very much sets the tone for the album, evoking a sense of gentle melancholy that is, nonetheless, immediately warming.

TRACKLIST

01. The Good Life
02. Fragile from the Storm
03. No Harvest
04. Different Dimensions
05. Complicated Human
06. Lights in Houses
07. All the Love
08. My Silver Net
09. The Truth Never Changes
10. Constant Without Me
11. To the Shadow
12. Undercurrents