Eddie And Luc
Album: Headlights EP
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 5
Website: http://www.eddieseaman.com

Talented youngsters Edinburgh-born Eddie Seaman and Newcastle-born Luc McNally are currently both members of the five-piece band Barluath, who won a Danny Kyle award at 2012's Celtic Connections and released their debut album Source later that same year. This EP, however, represents for these two musicians a fresh collaboration, which showcases their individual talents on a brief collection of tunes (and one song).

Luc's guitar gently underpins the duo's highly competent balance, while Eddie mostly plays the whistle (taking up the Highland pipes as well on two tracks: EP highlight Exercise (which opens in an invigorating jazzy syncopated triple-time) and just the second half of John D. Burgess's animated strathspey Invergordon Distillery. Luc's singing style is attractive, in which regard it's rather a pity that the EP only contains one vocal track, a plausible rendition of Terry Conway's anthem Fareweel Regality, But there's no faulting the scintillating instrumental work, and the recording is clear with presence and inner detail.

It's a promising start to a side-career as a duo, but at present I'm not sure their approach will sustain a full-length outing without more internal variety in their sound.

David Kidman