Erland Cooper is releasing his third and final album in a triptych, ‘Hether Blether’ on 29th May! The album is named after a hidden island in folklore and exposes his vocals more than any of the other albums in the trilogy, giving Cooper more room to breathe. ‘Hether Blether’ also features collaborations with Scottish poet John Burnside, musician Kathryn Joseph, and Hiroshi Ebina.
Opening the album is ‘Nouphead’. This track tells the story of a young girl who went missing. She is later found by her family, but she is all grown up and living on an island with children of her own. She gives her family a stake enabling them to visit her again, but they lose it in the sea, thus losing their chance of seeing their daughter again. This is a chilling song but the simplicity of the music really emphasises the poetic nature of the words.
Following this is ‘Rousay’, an incredibly calming track which is very similar musically to its predecessor. This song is named after the island that the girl mentioned in ‘Nouphead’ was born on. The use of the string quartet makes the introduction to the album an unusual but soothing listen, a similar sensation is experienced towards the end of the album with ‘Hamnavoe’.
‘Peedie Breeks’ continues the delicacy of the prior tracks but with a slight hint of pop creeping in. It is a reflective track about Cooper’s childhood and the need to preserve our coastline for future generations. The song hopes that children will continue to spot birds at the coast with their parents as Cooper used to do. Following this is ‘Skreevar’, a breezy, tranquil instrumental piece.
Marking the half-way point in the album is ‘Longhope’, a warm track full of laughter and expression. Burnside’s poetry can be heard as the girl from earlier in the album reappears, similar to later on in the album with title track ‘Hether Blether’.
‘Linga Holm’ is an unusual instrumental track, different to the ones we have already heard on the album. It perfectly mixes soft percussion with a more intense string section making the tension build. After this is ‘Hildaland’, a breath-taking track that will give you the shivers! The song is about finding the inhabitants that were said to retreat to an undersea kingdom every year, adding an element of mystery to the song.
Ending the album is ‘Where I Am Is Here’ in which Cooper sings a lyric borrowed from celebrated film composer Clint Mansell. It is a work about time and memory, and the repeated phrase ‘love now more than ever’, feels like an urgent demand for our times. This track is a natural end point to a meaningful album.