Wappinschaw

Description

Throughout their decades of activity, Cinder's work has always followed its own muse, but nowhere is this restless and elusive spirit more apparent and ambitious than on their fourth album, 'Wappinschaw', released in 1994. Conceived as a call to arms inspired by Scotland and its struggle for independence, the title refers to an archaic inspection of the Scottish army where clan chiefs inspected their group's weapons to ensure they were ready for battle. An introspective mood is present throughout the record, manifesting in forms both stark and noisy, ancient and anxious. Opening with a poignant solo vocal interpretation of the British folk standard "The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)", the album then transitions into the Cindytalk classic, "A Song Of Changes", sparkling and swirling in strange waves of sorrow and joy. From there, the mood fragments, tracing asymmetrical paths of mournful, spiritual, and thoughtful chants, black abstraction, spoken word with Glasgow writer Alasdair Gray guesting on "Wheesht", drone sounds of bagpipes, and apocalyptic post-punk. Given its aggressive eclecticism, it's not surprising that Cinder describes the creation of Wappinschaw as a precarious process, composed from snippets with an abrupt change of lineup - a situation only exacerbated by the impending dissolution of their then-label, Midnight Music. Despite, or perhaps because of these factors, the album testifies to Cinder's convictions that music can only remain experimental if one continues to challenge oneself. It is singular and challenging music, uneven in texture, with emotional conflicts, swimming through trembling darkness into fragile pockets of light. At the time of recording, Cinder was attempting to leave London after many years in the city, dreaming of a return to their roots. But while ideas of returning home seep in, there remains unfinished business, old ghosts to exorcise, culminating in the exhilarating and heartbreaking journey of 'Wappinschaw': an invocation of spirits of resistance - as much a declaration of war as a declaration of love.