Adam Bulley & Malcolm MacFarlane: Edinburgh Festival 2007

*****

See edfringe.com

Review by Tom Harland

Dynamic, young and exciting, Adam Bulley temporarily parted company with "Wingin' it!" partner in crime and fellow "Danny" award winner Chas MacKenzie for the duration of the festival to rock the world of folk in an awesome new duo with Malcolm MacFarlane.

MacFarlane sensibly swapped Jamie Cullum's company for Bulley's, yet like a hang-over that just won't go away, the sounds of jazz pervaded a number of the tunes. That said, the unique electro-acoustic fusion of folk, classical, jazz and rock styles along with a dazzling array of stringed instruments formed a sonic soundscape which transported the listener from urban American smoky speakeasies to the more delicate and soulful sounds befitting the rolling hills and glens of the Scottish Highlands.

As a folkie, the reviewer's personal highlights were the touching "Neil Gow's Lament" along with the sets Bulley effortlessly played on his Mandolin. A worthwhile evening for anyone who wants to hear some experimental folk fused with a twist of Jazz and a masterclass in subtle fingerpicking, time changes, rhytmic styles and patterns, delicate harmonics and crunching riffs. Bulley and MacFarlane's frenetic fretwork is both powerful and inspirational.

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