Nuada was inspired by the 1972 cult-classic horror film The Wicker Man and its original music. In developing this material, Candidate went for an immersion approach; they actually traveled to the remote places in Scotland where the picture was filmed, stayed in the same hotel as the main character and made demo recordings in various picturesque outdoor locations -- one of which was between the legs of the movie's half-burnt title prop. Some of these are artfully interspersed with the studio stuff on the album, such as the snippet of delay-laden voices, penny whistle and guitar that opens the disc.

The Wicker Man, for anyone who hasn't heard of it, concerns a devoutly Christian police officer who's lured to a remote pagan village by reports of a missing girl, only to become the victim of a ritual sacrifice. It's not a standard horror movie by any means, as much of the action takes place during the day in a pastoral setting. It might seem beyond pretentious to put out an "inspired-by-the-film" record, but Nuada isn't too heavy-handed about it. The songs barely skim the movie's actual plot, though several of them capture an appropriate sense of idyll-veiled menace -- particularly "Circle of Ash", with its vaguely ominous lyrics and hushed major/minor-key harmonies. Lush orchestras of achingly sweet acoustic guitars, flutes, horns and an assortment of other esoteric instruments create a very '70s-folk-soundtrack feel, but the exacting production values remind you that this album was made in 2002, not 1972.

Nuada alternates between vocal and instrumental numbers. Singer Joel Morris has a strong, pleasant voice, but the tracks where the ridiculously clear-throated Alex Donohoe joins him are positively haunting, especially "Sowing Song" and "Modern Parlance". She's not the only notable guest; master folk guitarist Bert Jansch contributes lead acoustic on the interludish "Burrowhead", sharing space with analog synth sounds and electronic beats. These seem somewhat anachronistic next to the traditional folk guitar, but their effect is interesting. The instrumentals, in particular, give Nuada that soundtrack ambience. Not that they're mere background music; the swingy "Song of the OSS" and the unhurriedly lovely "Island 34" are among the most evocative tunes on the record.

Nuada is quietly ornate, unobtrusive but never bland. Candidate seem to have found their calling -- even if they hadn't taken it upon themselves to mesh music with film, they'd still be one of those bands about which people say "They should score movies". Even if they never went near the cinema again, though, their music would stand on its own quite well.