Here’s the delightful ‘Time Check’ from Boston-based duo Rakish. Guitarist, Conor Hearn grew up immersed in the music of the Irish community around Washington DC, which is reflected in his joyous, melodic chords and rhythmic playing. It’s the perfect foundation for Maura Shawn Scanlin’s fiddle and banjo, her soaring performances influenced by her own Appalachian upbringing. The combination is an uplifting instrumental dance, their notes weaving and growing together, so that it’s hard to imagine them playing alone. This is the music of escape, of taking flight with hope and optimism beneath your wings. Scanlin’s eyes close as she’s lost in the music and, indeed, this is an absorbing and tuneful journey. There’s a beautiful moment when the music pauses halfway through and then the fiddle sweeps in before being joined by the lightly-fluttering picking of Hearn’s guitar, which then flows and grows.
This track is from the forthcoming album ‘Now, O Now’, which is due on 11th October 2024. Inspired by a blend of American and Celtic traditions, as well as the poems of James Joyce, this is a varied collection. Folk-pop tracks with more diverse instrumentation sit alongside others that are stripped back to their traditional, acoustic elements. Threaded through the album, delivered through technical excellence, is a simple joy in musical performance. Enjoy being swept along.
