4 stars

When she released her Cuilidh album two years ago, Julie Fowlis notched up a new achievement for Scottish music. Here, after all, was an artist who sang exclusively in Scottish Gaelic but crossed over to a wide audience in England and beyond. Partly, of course, this was the result of the world music boom - audiences are no longer worried by listening to lyrics that aren't in English. But she deserved her success because of her clear and thoughtful vocals, and she sticks to much the same formula on this new set. She may have made it on to the Radio 2 playlist with her Gaelic treatment of the Beatles' Blackbird, but there are no such novelties here. The songs are from the Hebrides, Perthshire, or North Uist, where she grew up, and range from gentle and exquisite ballads such as A Chatrion' Og to slinky, rhythmic songs traditionally sung by tweed workers. She is helped by a fine, discreet band who show off their skills on a series of instrumental tunes, and there are duets with Mary Smith and Eddie Reader (who sings in English alongside Fowlis's Gaelic treatment of the traditional Wind and Rain). No surprises, maybe, but an impressive and varied set.

Robin Denselow

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/oct/22/julie-fowlis-uam-review