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Gambler's Ballet is a great place to encounter Kila. Starting out as an Irish folk band, their music has gradually evolved over many years to include elements of many other cultures they've encountered - including the Ainu culture of northern Japan, whose musical emissary Oki collaborated with them on their last album. This time there are also strong African, jazz and Latin influences, though the songs are all in Gaelic - with English translations for those of us who need them.
Opener "Leath Ina Dhiadh A Hocht" (Half Eight) is an ecstatic paean to a great night out while the passionate "Seo Me Leaba" sounds like an African love song which somehow got translated into Gaelic. "Her Royal Waggledy Toes" has jazz tin whistle, and "Cardinal Knowledge" contains some of the most aggressive flute playing I've ever heard. "Fir Bolg" is an fiddle-led Eastern European tune which later morphs into something which Robert Rodrigues might be proud of for one of his ironic westerns, and the wild and woolly "Boy Racer" has so much energy it could resurrect a corpse.
Fusion is a concept which doesn't always work, but that can't be said of this nuclear blend of influences, energy and sheer musical joy. Kila's instrumentals are so strong that you don't miss a vocal for a moment - and it's almost impossible not to get up and dance, so don't listen to this album in the car!
Track listing:
1. Half Eight/Leath ina dhiaidh a hOcht
2. Electric Landlady
3. Cardinal Knowledge
4. Duisigi
5. Seo mo Leaba
6. Fir Bolg
7. Boy Racer
8. Her Royal Waggeldy Toes
9. Cabhraigi Lei
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