20 years on from his debut record, James Yorkston is a much-loved yet still underrated stalwart of Scottish music. A bit of a renaissance man, Yorkston, when he’s not carefully crafting modern folk tunes on the Scottish coast and authoring books, is teaching himself the piano. Like about 70% of the population of the western world, he threw himself into self-improvement during t lockdown. However, unlike 95% of that 70%, he stuck at it and improved himself. The Great White Sea Eagle is a still and beautiful collection of songs, with Yorkston’s piano skills well to the forefront. Yorkston continues his partnership with The Second Hand Orchestra, following  on from 2021’s The Wide, Wide River, but those who recall The Cardigans with glee will surely boost the profile of this record

Persson kickstarts the album, helming ‘Sam and Jeanie McGreagor’, her vocal fills carrying as much weight as the lyrics, floating sweetly over a beautifully measured arrangement. Rarely has “da de da” sounded so gorgeous. While the opener is short, it welcomes you warmly

There are many nods to family life, with ‘An Upturned Crab’ hinting at the small yet magical moments you miss when life takes you away from home. The sweetly named ‘Keeping Up With The Grandchildren, Yeah’ follows, and it’s a magical meandering, the percussion keeping a fine pace, driving it all forward

But the heart of this record resides in the solitary darkness of songs such as the devastating ‘A Sweetness In You’, written for Frightened Rabbit’s late Scott Hutchison. ‘I think of him often as I look out to the sea / And I live by the coast’ is a noble line to write about someone lost in such tragic circumstances

‘A Forestful of Rogues’ isn’t just a fantastic title; it’s an outstanding track and on initial listens, possibly even the centrepiece of an admittedly strong collective. There’s a wholesome feel throughout the record, but this track, with the ‘if I say so myself, and I damn well do’ line, beams and bursts in a nourishing way

‘Peter Paulo Van Der Heyden’ is raucous (at least in comparison with the rest), the rattling piano accompanying both singers’ optimistic lilt. Mainly, Persson carries the upbeat graces, but here, both are on the same page. They weave and bob around each other wonderfully, complementing each other handsomely, taking songs to a higher level than if left in the hands of any one singer

The ragged guitar solo adds to the occasion, and the middle period of the record picks up pace. This is where many albums start to sag, steeling themselves for a big finish, but not on The Great White Sea Eagle

There’s hardly a wasted moment, let alone a wasted track, with much of this down to the consistent quality of The Second Hand Orchestra. Naturally, so much focus will fall on the vocalists, but the singers will likely be first to admit it’s all possible because of the beautiful folk backing throughout the record

The relaxed air of ‘Hold Out For Love’ eases into the aching and longing nature of ‘The Harmony’, stirring strings underplaying it all, tugging at your heart. The repeated line ‘And the world became too fast, and if I were a gambling man, I would not trust it by half’ talks of doubt, again perfectly measured by the singers. In a way, they’re actors playing a role, bringing stories and emotions to life, showing us a different world from a character’s viewpoint

And if that wasn’t enough, “The Great White Sea Eagle” is a spoken word piece by Yorkston that could have been written a hundred years ago. It could have been cheesy and self-indulgent. It isn’t. It’s a bit wonderful

Closer ‘A Hollow Skeleton Lifts A Heavy Wing’ starts on a downbeat tone, but as Persson arrives, the tempo and pressure build. Thankfully, there’s a final flourish for the two, sparring and duelling, but not necessarily against each other, and it’s Yorkston who takes us home, repeating the title line as the embers die out

On The Great White Sea Eagle, Yorkston shows again that he is a significant 21st century songwriter who has chosen the perfect, if unlikely foil of Nina Persson to help realize his compositions. It’s a beautiful, hand made collection of natural and unforced songs to be treasured