Tak:til / UK / 2023
On Carry Them With Us, Scottish smallpipes innovator Brìghde Chaimbeul delivers a hypnotic and deeply personal album that bridges ancient tradition and modern experimentation. Known for revitalising the smallpipes and earning accolades like the BBC Young Folk Award, Chaimbeul pushes her sound into new, transcendent territory — weaving together drone, minimalism, and storytelling with an otherworldly touch.
Collaborating with avant-garde saxophonist Colin Stetson (Arcade Fire, Hereditary), she crafts an album where melody and texture blur into something elemental and alive. Tracks like Tha Fonn Gun Bhi Trom (I Am Disposed of Mirth) and Pìobaireachd Nan Eun (The Birds) shimmer with the interplay of pipes and breath, evoking landscapes, folklore, and the language of birds.
Rooted in Gaelic tradition yet reaching far beyond it, Carry Them With Us feels both ancient and futuristic — a series of musical “stories” told through tone and drone rather than words. Chaimbeul’s vision is immersive and meditative, each piece unfolding like a living myth passed down through air and sound.
For listeners drawn to the space between folk ritual and sonic experimentation — fans of Stetson, Julia Holter, or minimalist composers — this is an extraordinary album. Carry Them With Us doesn’t just preserve tradition; it reimagines it for the modern ear.