Album Review - Beluga Lagoon: The Kilfraggan Forest Choir

"When I'm calling your name, all I hear is the rain..."

A quick bit of history: one cold winter's night back before the world was struck by a pandemic, we were flipping through the channels and on the new BBC Scotland channel was a half hour programme called Roaming in the Wild. The episode we wandered into had just started and it was about two men crossing the north coast of Scotland on a tandem. It was quirky, slightly silly and seemed to perfectly encapsulate Scotland and Scottish television. About halfway through, the two men got on a boat and this was accompanied by a piece of music - almost a shanty and I liked it so much I tried to find out what it was called. It was called Neverland and it was performed by Beluga Lagoon, who just happened to be one of the guys riding a tandem across the north of Scotland, who also was a wildlife photographer, filmmaker and all round thoroughly decent chap called Andrew O'Donnell.

Several purchases later, I found I classed myself as a fan. Not everything they did floated my personal boat, but it helped me rediscover a love for folk music that I had as long ago as 1979. In December 2020, Beluga Lagoon released an album called The Lagganberry Man, which I thought was their best yet; it wasn't quite Scottish indie folk, not only because Andrew has a voice built for rock music but because it was so lavishly produced, with layers of complex notes, it felt more like a vintage wine than an album by a largely obscure Scottish band (and when I say 'band', apart from live appearances, Beluga Lagoon is essentially the aforementioned Andrew O'Donnell).

As you get older time passes much quicker; it's to do with familiarity. For a five year old a year is a fifth of their lives; for a man in his 60s it's a 60th of his life - a 60th is much smaller than a 5th, so the three years between The Lagganberry Man and The Kilfraggan Forest Choir hasn't seemed like the chasm it would have been when I was younger. I've kept an eye on the Beluga Lagoon Films website to see what he's been up to and apart from the occasional thing it's been quite quiet, but I still play The Lagganberry Man regularly as well as The Caledonian Fig Tree, The Small Boat and the Big Sea and all the other albums, EPs and singles that have been released. I wouldn't say I was obsessed by them the way I have been other bands throughout my life, but sometimes, living in Scotland, I just want something that fits in with the landscape and while O'Donnell probably makes his living from wildlife camera work, his songs are often laden with references to the things he films and clearly many of them are love songs about Scotland, the country. 

About six weeks ago, a new song appeared on You Tube. Called Laid Bare, it was a slow, quiet, journey through a pine forest that eventually gave way to a harmony that grew richer as it went on before finally O'Donnell's gruff voice broke through the choir and a shiver went down my spine; I was overcome with emotion - this was simply fabulous. Was the Kilfraggan Forest Choir going to be as choral as this? Could it possibly be better than the stupendous The Lagganberry Man? I would find out on the 11th of November.

The album was premiered on Beluga Lagoon's You Tube channel and one of the first comments said this, "This is a subtle and complex album. Traditional folk? Opera? Ambient? Psychedelic? This is a spellbinding album! Beluga Lagoon have ascended to celestial realms!" I don't know about the opera reference but everything else was spot on; if I could possibly write a review encapsulating this album that You Tube user did the job for me. Spellbinding is not a good enough word to describe it, from the moment I started listening I was blown away.

This is a spellbinding album!  Full of wonderfully beautiful songs, fabulous harmonies and meaningful lyrics. O'Donnell has created the best Beluga Lagoon album so far with every single track knocking the ball out of the park. Choral folk rock with an ambient twist and production that makes it sound like it was recorded in a haunted Scottish castle. This is so atmospheric it takes your breath away at times. Truly a thing of utmost beauty. It feels like a culmination and appreciation of everything they've done so far while opening the door to new and exciting things - I cannot recommend this album more. It is the best thing in a woefully awful year. What makes this all the better is I think 2023 has had some fantastic albums, including a new release from my favourite band - North Atlantic Oscillation (also a Scottish band), yet this... this is just so lovely it makes me want to cry...

There are actually some stand out tracks, despite almost every one of them being sublime. If you get the chance check out Upper Lee, Frail, Laid Bare, Forever More, Many Colours, Fire and my personal favourite (atm) Bird Food - the quote at the beginning of this review is from that. There's also this feeling, I hope I'm wrong, that this could be the end of the road for the band. There are so many references to previous albums and songs here and there is the underlying feeling of great sadness permeating throughout this collection. I hope I'm wrong because there is so much more Beluga Lagoon can do. 

You can view the first single Laid Bare on You Tube: https://youtu.be/hIvJWWqh9eM?si=RdxbJfwlAlf8-V1s and you can buy the album on Amazon, although I'm sure it will be available on their website at some point and it would be better for the band if you bought directly from them.

After much internal debate, I feel I can only award this album a 10 (out of 10). 

Track list:
Kilfraggan
Wear Away
Upper Lee
Nae Bother
Frail
Other Side
Bird Food
Laid Bare
Sleep
Aberlane Ghost Train
The Moth Meets the Moon
Forever More
Many Colours
Fire