Brave Hearts: New Scots Music, A Narada Collection

Ever wondered about the rest of the words to "Auld Lang Syne?" You'll hear them on Dougie MacLean's guitar-ballad version, which closes Brave Hearts, a collection of Scottish and Scottish-inflected music. In MacLean's hands, the rousing, traditional New Year's song becomes wistfully low-key, with a gentle intensity that undercuts anything a crowd of celebrants in Times Square might be capable of. There are plenty of other surprises on Brave Hearts as well, such as Blair Douglas's "Nelson Mandela's Welcome to the City of Glasgow," which successfully combines Scottish and South African musical traditions; the result works far better than one might initially expect. Popular-style songs, such as "Sleepy Maggie" (Ashley MacIsaac) and "E Horo" (Mary Jane Lamond), are complemented by such nods to tradition as "Walking the Plank" (Skyedance) and "Southpark House/Tarruing Teann An Crios/Kevin's Celtic Chasm" (Anna Murray). And pieces like the fast, furious, dramatic "B Minor" (Leahy) integrate piano with the more recognizably traditional fiddles and drums. Brave Hearts presents music that is neither staunchly traditional, nor cut off from its roots; instead, the collection combines the best of both worlds. --Genevieve Williams