ERLAND COOPER
Hether Blether (Phases) ****
While 2018’s Solan Goose looked at birdlife, and last year’s Sule Skerry pondered the sea, the third and final album in Erland’s Orkney islands trilogy concludes by exploring the land, it’s folklore, history, and the people who call it their home.
With a title inspired by a mythological fertile yet hidden island, Hether Blether draws on elements from its predecessors to create a sublime and poetic love letter to the composer’s childhood home – one that gently drifts and swells with a subtle grandness, dotted with layered voices, classical strings, and atmospheric touches. Featuring contributions from Scottish writer John Burnside and Scottish Album Of The Year 2015 winner Kathryn Joseph, it’s a beautifully crafted collection of meditative essays rooted in place, yet seemingly drifting through time. Out 29 May 2020.
Erland Cooper – Longhope (Official Video)
Words: Dave Freak