Epona - The Tannahill Weavers

No great departure here from the Tannies' usual fare: lovely and expertly arranged sets of jigs and reels alternating with traditional Scottish songs, equally well-arranged and often featuring startlingly dense and tight vocal harmonies. Epona gets off to a rather slow start, with the weak and sludgy "Interceltic Set." But the gorgeous harmony singing on "When the Kye Come Hame" brings things back up to speed, and they stay there for the remainder of the program; the multi-tracked whistles on "Lord Drummond" are heartbreakingly lovely, as are (yet again) the sung harmonies on "The Braes o' Gleniffer." Guitarist Roy Gullane's own "The Great Ships" is one of the album's highlights, and with "Rich Man's Silver" provides a spot of astringent social commentary on the otherwise traditional program. There are also excellent arrangements of two Robert Burns songs, "Craigieburn Wood" and the ever-popular "Westlin' Winds." Epona doesn't stand head and shoulders above the rest of the Tannahill Weavers' catalog, but it is certainly up to the group's usual high standard. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide