Reviewed by Martin I Smith

Vocalist Shona MacDonald, her songwriting brother Allan MacDonald and musician and producer Andrew Howie constitute the Scottish trio responsible for this contemporary folk effort and for the most part they have much to be proud of; 'Signs Of Life' has some beautiful and unusual moments. The ghostly quoting of Jesus in "Jerusalem", the creeping piano and wind recording at the intro of "Days Of Old" and the accordion instrumental "Missing Soldier's Requiem" are examples sifted out of many. It's a record that likes to lay on the atmosphere and it ranges from summery relaxation to tones more expansive and haunting. Shona's wistful vocals match the stylistic seasons well and if the presence of an accordion didn't give it away, there's plenty of instrumental variety to match. Unfortunately the production and mix leave the music sounding a little two-dimensional which downplays the record's dynamics, and here and there a few of the lyrical passages come out sounding forced. Be assured, this doesn't outweigh the album's strengths, which are delivered with subtlety and will continue to yield themselves to listeners who take the time to unpack what The Trufflehunters have.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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