An accomplished and enjoyable debut from one of Scotland’s brightest young harpists. Her deft and sensitive playing displays a pleasing freshness and rhythmic vitality as well as notable technical prowess. The album is mostly solo clarsach, with piano accompaniment on three sets and flute on another. The Ullapool-born musician is of mixed Scottish and Irish descent, and that is reflected in her choice of material …

Scottish-Irish musician Rachel Hair is a superb player of the clarsach, the traditional Scottish harp, and this debut album is hugely welcome. In fact, it would be difficult to find another Celtic music debut album of such consistent quality and beauty. The 19 tunes over 11 tracks consist of seven Scottish and Irish traditional tunes, six of Rachel’s own compositions …

Rachel Hair began to learn clarsach at age ten, and graduated with a first class degree from Strathclyde University, her final solo honours recital winning her a prize. With her family hailing from Scotland and Ireland, you begin to appreciate the album’s sub-title, ‘Scottish, Irish and original harp music’. Rachel’s original tunes include the lively, cheerful ‘Starry-Eyed Lads’ and ‘Charmed’, …

Subtitled ‘Scottish, Irish and Original Harp Music’, Hubcaps & Potholes marks the recording debut of one of the most innovative young musicians to have emerged over the last few years. Of mixed Scots and Irish parents (her mother is from County Antrim), Rachel hails from Ullapool, up in the far northwest of Scotland and has already gained a deserved reputation …