"Freefall - Review November 2001"
It's seven long years since their debut album Turning the Tide introduced The Cutting Edge to the world of Scottish dance music, a world inhabited mostly by bands who interpreted the music in a strictly traditional manner.Generally, this meant the principal instruments of accordion and fiddle playing the melody in an identical fashion with a strict tempo backline.
Some bands questioned this approach, however, and began to stray from the accepted path by introducing non-traditional (or, more adventurously, non-Scottish) rhythms and instruments.
But as Charlie Dickens nearly said, comparisons are melodious, because some of the former bands were a joy to dance to while the latter contained in their ranks examples of change for change's sake where the operation was unsuccessful or, in some cases, it was successful - but the patient died.
A band which combined the excitement of the new with the artistry and dependability of the old, therefore, was to be welcomed with open arms, and forward stepped The Cutting Edge.
Turning the Tide could be seen as a substitute for being at a Cutting Edge ceilidh dance and was very much a reflection of the music you had Stripped the Willow or Eightsome Reeled to during the evening.
Here was that boring old chestnut The Dashing White Sergeant suddenly transformed into a Latin American samba: the box was playing the same tunes but the rhythm - ah, the rhythm! - was subtly changing the dance steps from pas de bas to pasa doble, and you could swear that even in Scotland in February you felt the sun on your back.
Seven years on, the backbone of the band is still in place and as well as the musical and composing skills of George Carmichael on accordion and Deryck Mitchelson on keyboards, there is an immense input from the percussive talents of James Gorgon.
Newcomer Calum McKenzie (bass and vocals) brings three original songs to the party as well as a singalong Wild Mountain Thyme and the virtuoso guitar work of fellow newcomer (though not to recording) Kevin Murray is featured heavily, alternately providing the calm before the storm or the funky overlay when required.
Using the above analogy, Freefall differs from their debut album by declaring: Yes, we enjoyed dancing to the band but now let's go home and listen to what else they can do.
It isn't a ceilidh dance record as such, although some of the music on the album is what you've been dancing to, but at a different tempo. Perhaps it's a case of: Well, we can play at that speed all the way through but we choose not to.
And there's much more light and shade, too, with the time lapse between recordings charting the development of the band from a role as musical pioneers into becoming craftsmen of their art - the art of delivering rock-steady rhythmic Scottish dance music.
Alan McIntosh Brown
(Journalist and radio presenter)
