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| >> Northern Odyssey Tour, Bongo club edinburgh Sue Wilson, The Herald july02 Northern Odyssey is a touring package of two highland and edinburgh -based act, which showcases the strength and diversity of scottish music currently being created outwith the industry mainstream. The bill incorporates Americana with attitude, funked-up folk fusion and cunningly quirky clubland concoctions. A country-rock quartet from Inverness, The Lush Rollers create an authoritative poise between tightness and ease in their beautifully aligned four-part vocal harmonies, by turns robustly forthright and meltingly sweet, and in the instrumental interplay of free-ranging guitar and sophisticated rhythm work. The plangent twang and ringing melodies of their stateside influences dovetail exilaratingly with jaggy punk attack and a deft smattering of dancefloor beats in a highly evolved, arrestingly distinctive and richly satisfying sound. Croft No. Five hit the ground running with their first album attention all personnel a year ago , fast winning a reputation as the hottest new succsesors to Shooglenifty and the Peatbog Faeries. Their stagecraft has advanced by leaps and bounds, and their high ioctane synthesis of fiddle, whistle and accordian blends well with jazz-funk, drum 'n' bass and hip - hop grooves is tautter and sharper. Their sound has expanded to blend in East European and North African as well as celtic flavours. Edinburgh's DJ Dolphin Boy previewed some of the sounds that might be found on his forthcoming debut album, due out on hip London label Tummy Touch next year. Source material ranged from Fleetwood Mac to African drumming, Latin piano to hard - edged funk, sewn together with admirable wit and flair. |  |  |

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