Kathryn Tickell is a celebrated Northumbrian piper and fiddler. If, from that initial statement, you're able to determine that Debateable Lands contains an assortment of lively, up-tempo jigs and hornpipes full of the flavor -- or rather, the flavour -- of Northeastern England and Scotland, you may give yourself a gold star.
Not familiar with Northumbrian pipes? Theirs is the full, vibrantly throaty sound so often associated with the music of Northern England -- and not entirely dissimilar to Uilleann pipes, which also appear on the album. (Indeed, Debateable Lands showcases what is thought to be the first recorded duet between Northumbrian and Uilleann pipes) They're the sort of instrument that can make you think of windblown moors, rolling hills, shaded dells and picture-postcard villages at the drop of a hat.
If this sounds like an unlikely choice for a pick, trust me -- I never expected to like Debateable Lands. Its colloquial spelling of "debatable" had annoyed me before I'd even removed the shrinkwrap from the jewel case. What's more, I'm usually more than a little skeptical of the saccharine-sweet conviviality of such "traditional" sounds, thinking them an extension of a dubious tourist trap. I figured I'd hate the disc.
Instead, Debateable Lands won me over almost immediately with its unforced charm and good-natured energy. Tickell's Northumbrian pipes go straight for the emotions, sharing ebullient joy or mournful sorrow to palpable effect. She's accompanied by fiddle, melodeon, bass, guitar and -- on "Our Kate" -- by the aforementioned Uilleann pipes. There's authentic rustic charm by the cartload here: the patient temperance of "In Dispraise of Whiskey" segues magically into the impishly pixilated "Swig Jig", while listening to "The Return" with closed eyes will conjure cinematic visions of ancestral homesteads and loving reunions. Similarly, the powerful, faintly maudlin image of a ruined castle ("Dunstanburgh") is leavened by the gentle optimism of "Kathryn's Favourite". Then there's the disc's centerpiece: "Stories from the Debateable Lands", a series of tunes addressing the moods and history of a forty-eight square mile stretch of lawless land between England and Scotland -- a harsh but beautiful haven of outlaws and dubious spelling. Tickell's music lets you see the place, clear as day, in your mind's eye, to the point where you'll almost swear you've been there.
Listeners seeking envelope-pushing should give Debateable Lands a pass. Tickell doesn't run her Northumbrian pipes through a flange gate, add techno beats or sample the heraldic songs of ancient Britons. She and her fellow musicians simply put heart and soul into their music, and the results play far more honestly than other, more commercially minded works. If you just want to connect with the music -- and through it, with a time and a place -- you'll be thoroughly satisfied.
