Review: ‘The Scottish American Songbook’ – David Ogilvy

David Ogilvy’s smooth, velvety voice is a joy to listen to. So often we see artists throwing the kitchen sink at a song to make it bigger and more effective but for the production of this record, Ogilvy got the memo that less is more – every layer is added with a clear sense of purpose.

It’s steeped in traditional, celtic folk influences from the lyrical content to the melodies and instrumentation. Lassie is a stand out track, the backing vocals bringing something special to the song whilst Millers Farm with it’s dark, haunting melodies feeding off the accordion, showcases the lower register of Ogilvy’s voice.

There is some beautiful guitar work on this record, the album is built upon the beauty of a good relationship between a voice and an acoustic guitar. Lyrically, there is vivid imagery and metaphors throughout; “It fades away like morning dew” Ogilvy softly sings on Water Is Wide, a sombre love song.

Recommended for fans of Simon and Garfunkel, this album is beautiful in both it’s content and delivery and has a clear direction and theme running throughout. I look forward to hearing more from Ogilvy in the future.