Is It The Sea? captures, in remarkable clarity, performances from the Bonnie Prince’s sold out tour of Scotland and Ireland (and Newcastle) in the Spring of 2006. The tour found Billy in the company of Edinburgh’s Harem Scarem on close harmonies, fiddle, flute, banjo and accordion and Glasgow’s wunderkind Alex Neilson on drums and percussion.

For this tour Bonnie reached deep into his catalogue to produce a set long on magic and high on drama. Is It The Sea? captures Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in unique surroundings (isn’t he always?) deep in the midst of some of Scotland’s most adventurous traditional players. Arranged with a distinctly Caledonian air, the songs are animated by Harem Scarem’s grasp of traditional harmony singing and Neilson’s stately passive / aggressive playing. To the fore is Bonny Billy’s rich and resolute on-stage voice.

Familiar album tracks that on record are hushed performances - 'Master And Everyone', 'Wolf Among Wolves' and 'Minor Place'- become rousingly emotional. Songs that have hitherto drawn you in with their intimacy are performed here in the resonance of the moment. Hearing the opening couplet from 'Love Comes To Me' sung out loud and clear:

“When the numbers get so high / of the dead flying through the sky”

is an uplifting and convincing argument for living for today.