Various Artists

Mists rolling over purple hills, a noble stag standing proud against a frozen landscape and a shedload of great music – just a few of the things that come to mind when one thinks of Scotland. Since our ancestors first learned to tune and fiddle and get on down with the jigs ‘n’ reels, we’ve managed to produce an astonishing number of great acts – and by the looks of this compilation, that golden run shows no sign of stopping.
Gathering together some of the best unsigned talent in the land of blooming heather, Breakout Scotland unites East coast with West, city dweller with country bumpkin. Opening with the slashing guitars of Dorian, this compilation is an invaluable guide to some of the freshest new music in the nation. Covering a broad range of genres, it would need some fairly open ears to enjoy everything on this album, but a number of tracks stand out. The filthy Brit rock of 28 Jacks proves that there’s more to Inverness than the road to John O’ Groats, while Dundee’s Page 6 show a remarkable knack for melody with their track ‘Lovers But Don’t Know It Yet’.
Whilst none of the bands on this CD are household names in any home apart from their own, Breakout Scotland is a fine testament to the creative energies that run from Shetland to Gretna – and back again.