OVER THE PAST DECADE, more than 75 (!) musicians have played a part in Portland chamber-folk cornerstone Loch Lomond.
But the centerpiece of this delicate spectacle has always been Ritchie Young, whose big voice and beautiful tunes have commanded the project’s spotlight since its 2003 debut, When We Were Mountains.
That album was essentially a Young solo project that set his miniature epics against drum machine beats, synthesizers, and other modern trappings. Over the years, however, Loch Lomond evolved toward more traditional orchestral elements: strings, woodwinds, chiming percussion, and so on.
Loch Lomond certainly hasn’t left that style behind on their new album, Pens from Spain. Opening track “A String,” for example, is built on a playful piano line and features its share of string and horn swells. “Violins and Tea” moves confidently, with lush acoustic guitar and sparkling bells alongside the gentle drone of the song’s namesake instrument. “Nocturnal Me,” propelled by martial drums, is so dexterous, powerful, and tense, it feels like an excerpt from a terrific piece of theater. (Young should try his hand at a musical, if he hasn’t already.)