To the growing number of contemporary Scottish female folk musicians catching my ear, Jenny Sturgeon is the latest addition, and a most welcome one at that. Over the last few years the songs and music of artists such as Karine Polwart, Iona Fyfe and Siobhan Miller have travelled far and wide engaging fans in both live and recorded settings. Opportunities for Jenny Sturgeon to take her music on the road have succumbed to the pause button at the moment, but immediate compensation comes in the form of the release of her second solo album.
Submerge yourself into the sheer beauty of THE LIVING MOUNTAIN and the sensory experience brings the heart and soul of a project right to the fore. The undulating roaming feel to an unabated marriage with the natural world makes this record a mesmerising listen as you are transported right into the core of the beauty and barrenness of the Cairngorms region. Sturgeon's soft brogue is the warmest companion you can have during this trawl through the wilderness, and the perfect guide to the unravelling of a freshly discovered piece of sister art.
Field recordings, poem arrangements and self-penned songs sprinkle the landscape as Sturgeon draws inspiration from a book (a title shared with the album name) that lay dormant for thirty years before gaining publication and subsequent renewal as the theme for this musical project. Our protagonist is an acclaimed Shetland based multi-instrumentalist musician active for several years in a series of differing collaborations and prime for rising to the challenge presented in the making of this album. THE LIVING MOUNTAIN is one of your archetypal folk projects where the artist submits themselves to an irresistible calling.
Each song title echoes the book's chapters and names such as 'Water', 'Frost and Snow', 'Birds, Animals, Insects' and 'Air and Light' leave you in little doubt of the journey you are undertaking. However, the true magnitude of this record is the acutely delivered craftwork enabled by Sturgeon blending her gorgeous vocals with the dulcet tones of piano, harmonium, dulcimer et al.
Like so many mellow albums, THE LIVING MOUNTAIN is best enjoyed in a moment of restive solitude when you have no greater desire than to relax, unwind and submit your senses to music of a most cathartic demeanour. When the new world takes shape, there will be a reserved space for Jenny Sturgeon to share the fruits of her craft with audiences far from her northern Scottish base. Not only will the music paint a glorious picture, you will learn more about the book's author Nan Shepherd and her writings. For now take a chance on this record and delve deeper into its inspiration and outcome.