Eddi Reader

Eddi Reader

Vagabond

(Reveal)

If, for obvious reasons, you've had Eddi Reader's The Songs Of Robert Burns on the turntable recently, then pack up for a more nomadic journey when you give her new album a spin.

To begin with at least, Vagabond is more La Vie En Rose than Red Red Rose, as it turns the lights down low and draws up a front-row seat in a Parisian nightclub.

A jazzy vibe is established right from the start on I'll Never Be The Same, with tinkly piano, Django-esque guitar and the whisper of brushes allowing Reader to sing just behind the beat.

It's picked up again on the jaunty Midnight In Paris 1979 and on Snowflakes In The Sun, where Reader's voice becomes breathily seductive.

In this respect, Vagabond follows on from Dandelion on studio predecessor Love Is The Way.

But, as its title suggests, this album ranges more widely. Buain Na Rainich has the lilting Gaelic rhythm of a Capercaillie song (and a tune that recalls Ca' The Yowes) while In Ma Ain Country heads home to the firm musical ground of that earlier Burns album.

Towards the end, Alan Kelly's accordion returns to the fore, rekindling the warm mood of a shaded pavement cafe where old friends have gathered for a singalong.

ALAN MORRISON