Today on Folk Music Friday: ALL FIDDLES ALL THE TIME.
Laghdú, which translates as “a lessening, a decrease, a reduction,” is CaoimhÃn Ó Raghallaigh and Dan Trueman‘s debut record. Both of them are accomplished solo artists; Ó Raghallaigh is also a member of The Gloaming and This Is How We Fly, and Truman, a professor of music at Princeton University, also recently collaborated with Adam Sliwinski and So Percussion.
On this record, they both play a 10 string instrument that is a cross between a Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and a viola d’amore. And as fiddle music goes, their tunes are unusual – experimental, even, in shape, structure and texture. The sounds are bold, sometimes hovering on the edge of irritating, but ultimately compelling; the songs expand, contract, and loop back and forth in intriguing ways.
While the tracks can be absorbed individually, I very strongly suggest listening to the whole thing straight through for a more immersive experience.