One day you wake up wondering where all the singer songwriters have gone and, as if God indeed has a plan, you find not one but many with Ayrshire’s Pauline Vallance throwing her album “The World’s Gift” out to any ears that might be willing to listen.
“The World’s Gift” is indeed a traditional offering with all that you would expect of a Scottish singer songwriter steeped in the traditions of folk music. Stories are told – both old and new- with a definite reverence to the sounds and ways of the past. Nothing here is designed to challenge the sensitive ear with all that exudes from the speakers instead seemingly designed to induce feelings of familiarity and Pauline Vallance duly keeps her performance low key to match the music. That might not sound terribly exciting but there are many people out there who will find their internal central heating switched on by even a cursory listen to this album. It’s a sentiment thing and there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all.
In the light of the above, it will be no surprise that the more traditional songs on this album work the best with their time frozen sensibilities resonating true even today. Anyway, I love the sound of a clarsach in the morning. It feels like Scotland to me.