Talisk 'Dawn' (Talisk Records)

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Scotland in recent years has been the epicenter of Celtic traditional music being taken in many new and creative directions, from fresh takes on pure “trad” to the farthest reaches of 21st century music, all while retaining the essence of what makes it so beautiful. Glasgow folk trio Talisk is one of those bands whose youthful talent energizes the genre and places them at the forefront of the current wave of Celtic music.

Talisk's new album Dawn distills that essence into a mostly driving, but sometimes ethereal, collection of tunes. It’s a mix of I-can't-sit-down-I-have-to-dance and otherworldly-mists-of-time music in uptempo arrangements and sparse interludes, respectively.

The band's sound is acoustic—fiddle, concertina, and guitar—in their live setting, and all instrumental, but it's augmented by synthesizer and electric guitar in these recordings to give it a fuller, deeper sound. It's driven by the concertina, and if you didn't think a concertina could be hip, well, give it a listen. Many of the tracks feature a high-energy driving beat that wouldn't be out of place in a dance club, while their feet are firmly on the ground at a folk festival.

Talisk plays at Shank Hall on Friday, Feb. 18. Ticket information here: ticketweb.com/event/talisk-shank-hall-tickets/11109025.