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By Shelley Marsden, TheIrishWorld.com, Wed 14 Mar 2007
(Web link)

Fowl Play
Second album from Scottish Gaelic crossover phenomenon Julie Fowlis

Entitled CUILIDH – a Celtic noun meaning treasury/sanctuary, this Scottish Gaelic singer and musician continues to enlarge her following with a second studio album. Fowlis has everything going for her.

She has a voice that contains enough magic to do justice to all the folklore, humour and history of the traditional songs she chooses (she was nominated Singer of the Year 2007 at the BBC2 Folk Awards), a background that gives her material by the bucket-load and which has instilled in her an obvious passion for Gaelic music, and a growing reputation which has allowed her to call in the heavyweights for her second album.

You’ll hear not only the skills of partner Eamon Dooley - who collaborated on the last album too – but A-listers like John McCusker (incredible Scottish fiddler who’s played with Kate Rusby, Eddie Reader), Altan guitarist Mark Kelly, Donald Shaw of Capercaille and John Doyle (ex-Solas). It’s again rigorously Gaelic from first track to last – but the songs have translations and the beauty shines through. Cuilidh makes you want to head up to that same remote part of Scotland, and soak up some of the atmosphere yourself. With a hot whiskey if it’s cold out.