Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Even in solitude we must endeavour to believe in contribution, for the lonely pursuit requires a meeting of minds somewhere along the path, whether from the sibling looking on in awe and wonder, or that person whose heart you have touched with just a simple anecdote elongated to create a tale so incredible that they live to hear it retold again; solitude may be the big bang of creation, but it means nothing unless someone is on the same Flight Paths as you.
The meeting of minds is strong and beautifully embraced as Sweden, England, Scotland, and Finland and Norway combine their souls in the foursome of the Siskin Quartet, and as migratory birds seek new lands, the metaphor of human intrigue takes shape in their new album, Flight Paths.
The deep traditions of the foursome, the combination of two established folk duos, Bridget Marsden, Leif Ottosson, Sarah-Jane Summers, and Jihani Silvola, expand and morph with ease into a sound of evocation and aura of responsibility and creative heart swelling belief, the solitary journey that begins with any tune in the mind is soon captured, tagged and urged to fly to parts unknown as it searches for nesting grounds in the hearts of the three other performers.
What is soon apparent is the grace that combines all four musicians is one of upmost regard, not only for the listener’s appreciation, but one in which further collaboration is ensured, and as tracks such as April Rain, Eagle Huntress, Morning Green, Time Flies, and the excellence of the finale in Albatrossi, all take on the soul of each musician, each duo, so those nomadic and seasonal birds on the wing are more like our own dreams and hopes made real.
We must allow the images of our own birds to fly free where they will, to soar and return, for only in that reappearance after time on foreign shores will they take shape and lay the means of our next encounters, the collaboration between heart and mind, between each other urging all onwards.
Siskin Quartet release Flight Paths on September 30th
Ian D. Hall