The Unseen Hours

You have to hand it to Malinky. For their first album with a different lineup, they explode out of the blocks with...three long traditional ballads, a daring choice. But it works, as it draws the listener into the sound, which is built of delicacy, not bombast, and while they satisfy, they also build up plenty of tension, which finds release in the dancing instrumental of "The Scotia Set." For songs there's an emphasis on the tradition, and new member Fiona Hunter gets a vocal workout. She's not a replacement for the vibrant, departed Karine Polwart, and doesn't try to be. Instead, she establishes her own personality, and does it very well, too. It's only toward the end that newer songs creep in, prefaced by "Flowers of Saskatchewan," by Canadian songwriter David Francey, who adds harmony vocals to the track. "The Sun's Cousin" is quite epic, based on a Croatian folktale, and possibly a bit too long, but the closer, "My Ain Countrie," melds a 19th century poem with a traditional melody and an ode to their Scottish homeland. So it's a different Malinky this time around, but one that, even with a different focus, is very successful.