It's easy to hear why the judges picked fiddler Lauren MacColl as the winner of the 2004/05 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. As this outstanding debut album confirms, MacColl combines a mature depth of expression with youthful vitality in playing the music of the Highlands and north-east, with occasional Shetland influences. Her slow airs may well make you cry, her dance tune sets are invigorating, and she integrates brilliantly with James Ross (piano), Barry Reid (guitar) and accordionist Luke Daniels on arrangements that put the emphasis firmly on the melody even when moving along at quite a lick.
Rob Adams
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This debut from another Young Folk Award winner reveals a Scottish fiddler rich beyond her years with a huge technique and a style already richly individualistic. A singing tone is married to adventurous rhythmic exploration, to take her Highland-rooted repertoire up musical glens and straths rarely travelled. If her 'Lochaber Dance' invites terpsichorean trouble by setting the reel in a tricky 5/4, the air 'Tha Mi Tinn Leis a'Ghaol' will bring a smile to the folk police. Sparklingly produced by Chris Stout, the CD boasts pianist James Ross, Barry Reid on guitar and celebrated accordionist Luke Daniels.
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When Leaves Fall (Make Believe Records, 2007) by Lauren MacColl

	"When Leaves Fall" is the debut album from the 2005 winner of BBC Radio 2's Young Folk Award. A collection of traditional material alongside Lauren's own remarkable compositions, it is an exquisite collection that very much rewards repeated listens. Lauren is ably accompanied by Barry Reid on guitar and James Ross on piano, with Luke Daniel's button accordion also making an appearance on a few tracks. The accompaniment is as inspiring as the sound of Lauren's fiddle, lending a superb supporting role -- though this is most definitely a fiddle album, with Laurens skilful playing prominent throughout the mix. Lauren plays the fiddle with a delightfully effortless and restrained style. It's almost as if she's defying friction, allowing the notes to gracefully dance out from under the bow. There's nothing at all forced about Lauren's style, it just flows with a beautifully natural sound. "Tha mi tinn leis a' Ghaol" is brimming with poise and elegance, that almost makes time stand still with its utter beauty, and demonstrates the emotional empathy that Lauren can conjure up with her remarkably expressive technique. This expressiveness isn't merely confined to solemnity, as demonstrated on Lauren's own composition, "Graham's Delight," a song inspired by the infectious smile of a fellow fiddle-player whilst performing -- a notion that Lauren captures impeccably with this sprightly number. "An T-Iarla Diurach," is the haunting melody from a Gaelic love song, and Lauren wrings every last drop of emotion from this performance, with her melancholic interpretation. Lauren employs such delightfully subtle nuances, unquestionably revealing the story behind the melody, without need for words or explanation. Such is the immediacy of this rendition, it will make you stop whatever you're doing, and draw you into its sense of yearning -- the rest of the world is put on hold for this sublime three-and-a-half minutes. The outer cover of the album artwork depicts a classy, composed Lauren MacColl, portrayed chiefly in cool shades of blue. Open up the sleeve and you are greeted by a warm, welcoming orange artwork and photograph. And this sums up "When Leaves Fall" perfectly; classy, composed, yet most certainly warm. This is truly an impressive debut, and highly recommended.
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