On June 27, 2025, Scottish piper Brìghde Chaimbeul released her latest album, “Sunwise.” This is Chaimbeul’s third album, following the success of her second album. Chaimbeul plays the smallpipes, which are more mellow than bagpipes.
The songs on the album have varying lengths. Some songs,
like “kindle the fire,” appear to be transitional songs for the others. This
adds to the feeling of the album being a story with each song being chapters.
The first song on the album, “ Dùsgadh/Waking,” contains one sustained note on the pipes with some
other stuff going around it to start. While this may seem boring, it draws
album listeners in to focus on the music. Eventually, the pipes start playing a
melody, inviting listeners in even more. The song really does depict waking up.
“Bog A Lochan” is the first song on the album that features
solely the smallpipes with a solid melody. It is catchy and upbeat. Listeners
can easily dance to this song, and it is the first upbeat song of the album.
The album does have some singing on the album. The vocals on
the album are in perfect balance with the instruments. This can be tricky with
any kind of pipes, but the artists and mixers did a great job.
Chaimbeul is known for emphasizing the textural drone sounds
of the smallpipes, and that is evident on this album. Several of the songs use
long pipe notes, which highlight the texture of each note while adding to the
narrative of the album. These notes may seem pointless, long, and useless,
Chaimbeul uses them to continue the story.
The album is only eight songs long, but it has a complete
story arc. Each note and each note gives way to new storylines, even if the
note seems out of place or too long. Once again, Chaimbeul pushes the
boundaries of smallpipes and creates something masterful.
Overall, this album is the perfect example of instruments telling
a story, even when vocals and lyrics are not present. None of the songs are
labeled as explicit. The album is great for those interested in Scottish Gaelic
as there are some lyrics and spoken aspects that feature the language.
1. Dùsgadh/Waking
2. A' Chailleach
3. kindle the fire
4. She Went Astray
5. Bog an Lochan
6. Sguabag/The Sweeper
7. Duan
8. The Rain Is Wine and the Stones Are Cheese
Related Articles:
-Album Review: "Anywhere Here Is Perfect" by Sam Gellaitry: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/album-review-anywhere-here-is-perfect.html
-Album Review: "Bracing for Impact" by Catty: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2026/02/album-review-bracing-for-impact-by-catty.html