What made things appear even worse is that, whilst I have incrementally morphed into Shreck during these years, the four Main Unthanks (Rachel and Becky Unthank, Niopha Keegan and Adrian McNally) all appear depressingly untouched by passing time.
The band were here at Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival, on the second night of a (very) short four date UK tour, along with the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
My unfamiliarity with some of the music contributed to this fact no doubt, but I just felt we had a few too many dirge-like tunes this evening - the likes of Flutter, The Sandgate Dandling Song and At First She Starts all had me stifling yawns.
I have nothing against slow quiet arrangements, but no amount of poignant lyrics and beautiful voices are going to cover up the absence of a decent melody.
But when the band do get things right, they are pretty damn near perfect - witness the heartbreaking performances of Felton Lonnin and Last. And, that paean to departed friend of the band Lucky Gilchrist, which also shone brightly this evening.
But the stand out tune in the band's set is, of course, the tangentially proggy Mount The Air, particularly as it builds to it's climax, with Becky and Rachel clog-dancing away like a pair of good 'uns.
It really does have one's heart soaring out of one's chest. (Not literally, obviously).
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| Becky Unthank |
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| Rachel Unthank |
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| Niopha Keegan (upon whom I have long had a wee crush) looked as nervous and uncomfortable, as she had when I had seen the band last. |
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| Becky Unthank |
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| Chris Price |
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| The Unthanks - Glasgow - January 2026 |
Setlist
The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry
Madam
Flutter
The Standgate Dandling Song
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