An Da La Two Days

After three and half years' near-constant touring, Mànran are back with a storming new album. The title, 'An Dà Là' ('The Two Days'), comes from a Gaelic expression for great change and change is very much the central theme of the album. This exhibits itself in myriad forms ranging from an old Gaelic song on the changes wrought by the Highland Clearances through to the title track of the album: a bilingual attempt to deal with the precarious nature of today's ever-changing world. The title also reflects the changes the band has undergone over the years since Mànran's last studio album and, musically, these changes are most evident in the increased power, intricacy and maturity of the instrumental tracks as well as the strength of the new voices featured in the songs. In three years that have seen Mànran tour regularly throughout Scotland, the UK, mainland Europe and as far as the US, Australia and South Korea, it's clear that the band haven't been travelling around with their fingers in their ears and these worldwide influences can be heard in much of the new music. Indeed, much of the album was composed, rehearsed and gigged on the road before being recorded in Glasgow during rare moments of downtime. This 'road-testing' method has undoubtedly resulted in Mànran's strongest, most coherent and boldest album to date.