Essential 1.1
Dougie MacLean – Resolution

Scottish singer songwriter Dougie MacLean and his latest offering, ‘Resolution,’ are bloody annoying.
The album, released towards the end of 2010, started to pick up positive critical recognition and solid radio play earlier this year.
Within the first few months of 2011 it had become album of the week on many a radio programme, including Iain Anderson’s show on BBC Radio Scotland.

But that’s hardly an annoying trait, that’s a deserving trait – ‘Resolution’ is an excellent collection of contemporary acoustic songs infused with traditional musical values.

The problem is a personal one.
I’ve been trying to get through a ridiculous number of CD’s and MP3’s in recent months and that’s difficult enough to do without continually revisiting ‘Resolution’ as I seem to be doing lately. And with some regularity.

Annoying.
But perhaps not unexpected, given the artist’s previous… 

Dougie MacLean has been a successful solo artist for some thirty years and in that time has released more than twenty albums including instrumental and live recordings.
Each release produces a number of beautiful or emotive songs (whether originals, interpretations of traditional tunes or the occasional song by Robert Burns) that become Dougie MacLean classics.

‘Resolution,’ MacLean’s first full-length solo album since ‘Inside The Thunder’ in 2006, is no different.
It is however a slow burner or grower, with each revisit bringing out further qualities - hence the repeated Muirsical plays.

The more you listen to the lighter arranged tunes or softer tracks the more they start to shine in their own musical light – ‘Some Hearts’ and ‘Loving One’ grow from comfortable listening to captivating, while the beautiful ‘The Gift (Fly Away)’ will become a firm fan-favourite.

Some of the songs make a more immediate impact.
The album opens with the title track and, from just the first few bars and MacLean’s vocal pronouncing “All eyes are empty, they hide the heavy heart,” the song carries an instant appeal. Melancholy with melody. Poignant and powerful.  

The title track is one of MacLean’s finest songs and is such a strong opening statement the nine tracks that follow could be in danger of becoming anticlimactic, but the album’s true strength is in the quality of the song-craft found throughout.
It is unarguably one of Dougie MacLean’s best ever releases.

Ballads dominate ‘Resolution,’ with acoustic guitar and voice the featured instruments, but there are a couple of more up-tempo moments including ‘Disgraceful’ and ‘Over Us All,’ the latter featuring Dougie MacLean on didgeridoo.
MacLean also plays fiddle on a number of tracks, one of the many instruments associated with the multi-instrumentalist.

But there is no question the tone and tempo of ‘Resolution’ is set by the voice of Dougie MacLean and his acoustic guitar, perhaps best exemplified by the album’s final track ‘All Who Wander.’   

It’s not a one-man show however – percussion, bass, keyboards and additional guitars are provided by Jamie MacLean while additional instrumentation and flourishes include contributions by Ross Ainslie (whistle), Alan Sutherland (piano) and Owen Nicholson (dobro).

The production of 'Resolution' is very much a Clan-family presentation.
The album was recorded by Jamie and Julia MacLean and produced by Dougie, Jamie, Julia and Jennifer MacLean.

As mentioned at the top of this review, ‘Resolution’ was released late last year but this is certainly the perfect time to be reviewing it:
In the New Year Honours List Dougie MacLean was awarded the OBE for services to music and charity in Scotland and in April performed three sold-out shows known as ‘The Clunie Concerts’ in Clunie, Perthshire.
During late October and early November MacLean’s Perthshire Amber Festival will have its seventh annual outing and, prior to the Amber, the singer will be performing a number of other notable dates including an appearance at the finale weekend of the tenth ‘Burns an’ a’ That!’ festival in Ayr.

Tracks from ‘Resolution’ feature in the set-lists and are being well received, but then with the album’s song-quality that’s hardly a surprise.

Which brings me to the most annoying thing of all about Dougie MacLean and Resolution...

In 2007 an anthology album entitled ‘The Essential Dougie MacLean’ was released and a copy sits in both my CD collection and MP3 drive.
The trouble is there are a number of songs on ‘Resolution’ I would also describe as essential Dougie MacLean, which means transferring a number of those songs to the hard drive folder where my ‘Essential’ MP3 copy resides. 
Then I need to create an updated and expanded edition of the anthology. ‘Essential 1.1.’ if you will.

Bloody annoying.

Ross Muir
May 2011


The following audio tracks are presented to accompany the above review and promote the work of the artist/s. No infringement of copyright is intended.

Resolution
Over Us All