FolkWorld #54 07/2014

CD & DVD Reviews

Simon Mayor "The Art of Mandolin"
Acoustics Records, 2014

Artist Video

www.mandolin.co.uk

"The Art of Mandolin" - this is what the album title promises - and you get nothing less than that. Simon Mayor's mandolin playing is skilful, playful, entertaining. An album of just mandolin playing (plus Hilary James on Mandobass) may sound somewhat dull, but Simon's album certainly proves different. Stylistically varied, with music from four centuries, from classical to ragtime - plus the lullaby "Brezairola" sung by Hilary James - and Simon's incredible skills on the mandolin hold that stylistic range together as one very pleasant journey.
© Michael Moll


Ange Hardy "Bare Foot Folk"
Story Records, 2013

Artist Video

www.angehardy.com

An album of new English ballads in traditional style. Ange Hardy is a relatively new voice on the folk scene - and what a lovely warm voice it is. Her CD "Bare Foot Folk" presents her voice in pure form - there are just some vocal harmonies (with voice dubbing) and guitar playing (yet there are also some a capella songs and one accompanied by bodhran). All songs are written by Ange - but many of them would easily get away as traditionals. Even though Ange is from Somerset, many of the songs have a trad Irish feel to them - and there is a reason for this, as Ange learnt to play guitar when she was homeless in Ireland at the age 14.
To pull off an album that is so much focussed on a voice and on newly written songs, you need a good voice, excellent vocal skills and songwriting talent. Ange Hardy proves with this album that she has all of these attributes.
© Michael Moll


Lisa Lestander "Sånger från Norr"
Westpark Music, 2014

www.lisalestander.se

Traditional folk songs from the North of Sweden have been largely neglected by the contemporary Swedish folk scene. SInger Lisa Lestander is changing this now with here new album, where she presents ten more or less forgotten traditional songs from the North. Lisa, of the quartet Kraja, has a beautiful clear voice. Some of the songs are pretty melancholic, others are more uplifting. The album has a bit of a jazzy feel from Jonas Kutson's saxophone, and Lisa is additionally joined by Mats Öberg on piano, harp and harmonica. A nice album.
© Michael Moll


Jacquelyn Hynes "Silver and Wood"
Hobgoblin, 2014

www.jacquelynhynes.com

Irish folk focussed around the skillful flute playing of London based Jacquelyn Hynes. For my taste, some of the solo flute numbers are a bit too bare, and I find tha the album is at its strongest with a full folk band backing (but no doubt other people will disagree on this). Whil focussed on the flute, there are also a few songs in the mix. Most unusual of those is Jacquelyn's version of "Greensleeves", with new words, and presented as spoken word backed by singing of the same words and harpsichord.
© Michael Moll


Gitarre & Cello "Reise Nach Norden"
Moon Sound Records, 2012

Artist Video

www.gitarre-cello.de

An album of solely guitar and cello - I was a bit undecided whether this would become an exciting listen or not. But the German duo has pulled it off. "Reise nach Norden" (Journey North) is instantly appealing, the tunes paint gentle imaginary pictures, and the music is uplifting. Ania Strass' cello acts at times more as a violin, and there is plenty of good guitar fingerpicking from Matthias Strass.
© Michael Moll


The Gloaming "The Gloaming"
Realworld, 2014

Artist Video

www.thegloaming.net

"The Gloaming" brings together an impressive mix of well known talent from the Irish scene, and creates a unique fascinating and impressive sound and style. Singer Iarla Ó Lionaird, famed for his contributions to the Afro Celt Sound System (and I have not heard anything from him since until this album) presents in "The Gloaming" some quite different Gaelic songs, in a unique yet sparse pop ballad style that brings this old language into a very modern frame (this is alongside some more traditional sounding songs). Martin Hayes remains one of the best fiddlers on the Celtic scene, and as usual can impress also in this band context with his beautiful fiddle tunes with that stunning easy flow to it. Then Martin's duo partner, wonderful guitarist Dennis Cahill with his sparse and highly effective style. To complete "The Gloaming"'s superb line-up, there's New York pianist Thomas Bartlett and Irish hardanger fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.
This is overall sparse and quiet music, which still has its very own energy and drama. You need to be in the right mood for this album - and when you are, this is absolutely exquisite music. A top album.
© Michael Moll


Hans Fredrik Jacobsen "Trå: dansen"
Grappa, 2013

A charming album from this Norwegian singer/songwriter/multiinstrumentalist. His songs in Norwegian language, largely self-penned and sung in a warm, relaxed way, are very accessible also to international audiences. It's a mix of gentle and more energetic songs, with some instrumentals, featuring a wide range of instruments, including guitars, mouth harp, hardanger fiddle, accordion, bagpipes and saw. Hans Fredrik took inspiration for his songs and music from his home village, as well as from international travels. This results in a varied album, steeped in Norwegian music, but with an eye open to the world.
© Michael Moll


Show of Hands "Wake the Union"
Own label, 2012

Artist Video

www.showofhands.co.uk

Show of Hands alias Phil Beer and Steve Knightly has been for quite a while one of the most popular acts on the English folk scene. I haven't heard the music of this duo for a long time, but have to admit that I used to find that while their music was solid, it could not really excite me. So what do I make of their current album? Well I have found that "Wake the Union" has grown on me. The songs all lean towards a singer/songwriter acoustic folk pop style, with a bit of country in the mix. I particularly like the songs that feature Phil's distinctive fiddle playing - this gives the songs more soul and drive, and gives them a pleasant folky feel. The album features, additionally to the duo, also Mirinda Sykes on double bass and a range of guest musicians, mostly on string instruments and percussion.
© Michael Moll


Various Artists "The Scottish Diaspora - The Music and the Song"
Greentrax, 2013

Another Greentrax album published to celebrate a new massive thematic tapestry (following the Prestonpans tapestry), this time with the theme of the Scottish diaspora and emigration - a topic with a wealth of song material to choose from.
Ian Green managed yet again to gather an impressive collection of songs - a total of 39 songs from his catalogue and a diverse range of other sources. The songs are broadly geographically ordered - CD 1 features songs about the Northern American diaspora, while CD2 takes us (or rather the emigrants) to Australia, Newzealand, Asia, Europa and England.
There's a mix of songs in Gaelic and English/Scots, and of course you will find songs from the likes of the McCalmans, Dick Gaughan, Brian McNeill (with his two albums themed around the diaspora), Margaret Stewart, Donnie Munro and Robin Laing. And then there are some much more unusual songs - such as an Indian version of "Auld Lang Syne" (alongside The Cast's classic version), a Kriol verison of "Waltzing Matilda", and a moving live recording of Hamish Moore on pipes with the Choirs of Barga (Italy) and Sangstreem.
And beyond the brilliant music itself, there's a wealth of information about the background of the tracks, painting an interesting mix of snapshots of the Scottish diaspora. For example, did you know that there is a town in Italy (Barga) with 60% of it residents having relations in Scotland - or that in Japan, many of the multiple stores close with a Japanese version of Auld Lang Syne over the public address system?
Another Greentrax compilation that deserves top marks.
© Michael Moll


Bruce & Walker "Born to Rottenrow"
Greentrax, 2014

www.bruceandwalker.com

Two Ian's - Ian Bruce and Ian Walker - have joined forces to record this music and dvd album and to tour together. Both are acclaimed in Scotland as busy solo singer/songwriters, and both hail from Glasgow.
The music album offers 12 new songs of the duo, showcasing both of their singing and songwriting skills - with most of them being credited to both of them jointly. There are a few guest musicians, but it is definitely the two of them who are the stars of the show.
The DVD is an interesting and unusual one - it has been recorded in a living room full of guests giving the DVD audience at home the feeling as if they sit in the middle of this cosy house party. The setting gives the DVD an informal and very relaxed and personal feel of a crowded living room, with people singing along to the songs. A further 15 songs are featured in this living room recording on the DVD. And if that was not enough, the DVD also includes a filming of a lengthy radio interview featuring another 10 or so additional songs. Thus a lot of music and a lot from the Ians for your money.
© Michael Moll


Lawrence Blatt "Emergence"
Own label, 2014

Artist Video

www.lawrenceblatt.com

According to the sleeve notes, the album is based on the scientific concept of "emergence", the simple rules behing the complex patterns in the natural world. Lawrence Blatt translated this concept to strict adherence to musical rules of chord progression and scale theory - with no written music given to the solo guest musicians, and with musicians being instructed to keep within the "allowable" movement based on musical theory and practise.
I have to admit that this description scared me off this CD - sounding either too scientific or too esoteric (I could not quite make up my mind on this). However, the album is actually very pleasant to listen to. While the focus is on Blatt's guitar, it features a wide range of solo instrumentalists, on violins, cello, double bass, English and French horn and penny whistle. Music to day dream...
© Michael Moll


3 Daft Monkeys "Of Stones and Bones"
Own label, 2013

Artist Video

www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk

I started off reading the lyrics of this album without listening to the music - all lyrics are based on Cornish legends - and from reading them, I was not convinced that they would make good lyrics for songs. Listening in, I found that my concerns had been founded - for me, generally, the lyrics on this album do not work. This is a real shame - as I like the musical arrangements a lot: A wonderful folk rock approach with great fiddle playing weaved in. But as it stands, as a result of the singing, this album is not something for me.
© Michael Moll


Salsa Celtica "The Tall Islands"
Discos Leon Records 2014

Artist Video

www.salsaceltica.com

Salsa Celtica's latest, their 5th, album takes us much more back to their Celtic roots - and the result is superb. It continues where their second album, "The Great Scottish Latin Adventure" left us - returning to a much more equal blend of Celtic and Afro Latin influences (later albums have had more of an emphasis on the Latin music). And there is something new in the mix - blending Gaelic traditional singing with Afro Latin music and song - which is unique and works as if these two cultures had forever been entwined. The Gaelic songs are sung by band member Megan Henderson and guest singer Kathleen MacInnes, and find traditional "Puirt a beuls" with a salsa chorus, or a waulking song with an Afro Latin twist. Alongside these more Celtic numbers there are also songs which are more on the Latin side like Guajira sons.
The band, as always, brings together salsa musicians - with a strong brass section - with Scottish and Irish musicians, on whistles, pipes, banjo and guest uilleann pipes. The album finishes off with a newly recorded, and as powerful, version of their "Great Scottish Latin Adventure" classic "Yo me Voy" successfully blending a salsa song with pipes.
For me this is Salsa Celtica's best album, and is a definite entry for my top 10 albums for 2014.
© Michael Moll


Seth Lakeman "Word of Mouth"
Cooking Vinyl; 2014

Artist Video

www.sethlakeman.co.uk

Seth Lakeman has been for some time one of the stars of the English folk scene. His new album "Word of Mouth" offers superb modern folk arrangements - with a very full and driving sound and featuring Seth's superb fiddle playing. It is nearly impossible not to tap along to this energetic music. The music is so excellent that I do enjoy this album a lot - despite Seth's singing style (tending to move into pop) not being quite my cup of tea.
© Michael Moll


Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll "A Handful of Sky"
Wild Goose, 2014

Artist Video

www.EnglishFiddle.com

A quintessentially English duo, this is not the sort of music I would usually review but their playing is so pure and their material is so unfamiliar that I couldn't resist. Wyke and Driscoll both play fiddle - in fact their website is EnglishFiddle.com - and their music comes mainly from around North Devon. This is their third album, not counting an early EP released in 2004, so they've been on the scene for a while, just not on my radar. What I like about A Handful of Sky is its reserve, its gentility: the music is "nice", perhaps too nice for some tastes, but it's rare indeed to find two such pleasant voices belonging to equally talented fiddlers. Between them the fiddles supply melody, harmony, rhythm and bass, almost all in a plain English style with just the occasional funky moment. Hornpipes, jigs, waltzes, airs and set dances come from old manuscripts and new adventures, with not an Irish reel to be heard, although one Scottish jig does sneak in. Most tunes are local, or local versions, that I hadn't heard before.
As well as seven sets of tunes, there are five songs here detailing the shadier side of English rural pursuits: robbery, adultery, infanticide, and even bellringing, but all in such good taste that Wyke & Driscoll can't even bring themselves to sing the word "balls". So, if you're in the mood from some relaxing English music, something to listen to while you read the paper or polish your handbells or pursue other English passtimes - or just as background music in the parlour when the vicar calls round - A Handful of Sky might be just the thing. The fiddling is unadorned but harmonious and tuneful, the singing is strong without being raucous, and the entire album is genteel enough for a garden party. Nick Wyke and Becki Driscoll take a quite different approach to dance music and murder ballads than most English bands, which is quite refreshing, and their musicianship is impeccable.
© Alex Monaghan


California Feetwarmers "California Feetwarmers"
Own Label, 2013

Artist Video

www.californiafeetwarmers.com

On the border between folk, Dixieland jazz, ragtime and swing, this eight piece was founded in LA in 2012 in what they describe as "a very meant-to-be happening". Well, they are Californian: but they play their way from Virginia to Georgia, Texas to Tennessee. Rags, blues, dance tunes, songs and sleazy instrumentals are all delivered by that winning New Orleans combinaton of brass and banjo, clarinet and cymbals, plus guitar riffs and washboard rubs. There are a few guests on this debut recording, but not too many, and I get the strong feeling these guys would do just as good a job live. With only two new songs, written by guitarist Jefferey Moran, the vast majority of this material comes from the first three decades of the twentieth century. Is it well preserved? You betcha! Papa's bones, pickled in alcohol according to the 1927 France Blues, are still jumping and jiving here.
All eight musicians are able to hold a solo, and there are some great showpieces which take full advantage of the individual talents on offer. The Al Jolson classic Golden Gate combines charismatic vocals with Klezmer clarinet and cool jazz brass. The Banshee has touches of Flanagan banjo brilliance, while A Banjo Vamp is more of a minstrel show number. You May Leave and the opening Jazz Me Blues are fine examples of the slow drag, salty and delicious in the southern heat. Tiger Rag is straight off Bourbon Street via the Memphis Jug Band, with sparkling jazz trumpet. And of course there's Mr Joplin's party piece, Maple Leaf Rag, a laid back version with a virtuoso finish and a tendency to come back and haunt you. Differently folky, eclectic Americana dressed up for the local hop: the California Feetwarmers offer authentic antique music with enough spark to raise the dead.
© Alex Monaghan


Fraser Fifield & Graeme Stephen "Esotero"
Own Label, 2013

Artist Video

www.fraserfifield.com

Fraser Fifield should be familiar from Old Blind Dogs,[43] Salsa Celtica,[54] numerous other groups, and three or four of his own previous CDs. On this relatively short album, Fraser plays low whistle, border pipes and soprano sax, combining Scottish and other traditional music with his own brand of cool jazz. His equally versatile collaborator Graeme Stephen plays what looks like a semi-acoustic guitar in styles from folky to freaky. As this duo put it themselves, "Gone are the days of neatly categorising music as folk, jazz, or whatever else." Esotero is a prime example, mixing Eastern and Western European traditions, jazz and trad, new music and old. Even the lines between the tracks are blurred, with most of the album presented as a seamless whole, and one or two pieces specifically written as short links. All the material on this recording was either adapted from the Scottish tradition or composed by Fifield and Stephen. The entire recording, from the title track to the final Cockerel in the Creel, is perfectly played and flawlessly produced.
At the gentler end of this pair's repertoire, the complex air Esotero and the simpler but equally stunning Secret Histories are eerily evocative on low whistles. Chase It Catch It and The Bank of Time have much harder edges, with aggressive piping and some modern Middle Eastern rock guitar. The sax tunes are sort of in between, and there are also a couple of punchier whistle numbers, especially the final pair of reels. All seven of the big tracks here are mini masterpieces, and each is a different delight. The two short interludes are fascinating too. Almost all of Esotero should appeal to anyone fond of modern pipes and whistles, whether Scottish, Irish or further east. Things do get seriously jazzy in one or two places, but to quote another great performer, it's all in the best possible taste. I'm already looking forward to Fraser's next musical project.
© Alex Monaghan


Gavin Pennycook "Octave Fiddle"
Own Label, 2014

Artist Video

www.gavinpennycook.com

A former All-Ireland fiddle champion, Edinburgh's Gavin Pennycook has recorded albums on fiddle, nyckelharpa, and now octave fiddle. Subtitled Baritone Violin, this CD concentrates on a normal-sized fiddle strung with special strings which sound an octave below the usual pitch, giving a sound somewhere between a viola and a cello. Classical violinists have been experimenting with this instrument for a while, but this is the first time I've heard it used extensively in traditional music. For the player, it allows the speed and flexibility of the fiddle fingering to produce a much deeper, darker sound. Gavin plays several gorgeous slow airs here, taking full advantage of the extra rich tone of the octave fiddle, but also puts it through its paces on reels, jigs, strathspeys and hornpipes, as well as a couple of Scandinavian tunes and even some classical favourites.
Loftus Jones and The Munster Cloak are old Irish airs, very different from each other but both beautifully resonant on this instrument. The Gold Ring (fiddle version) and The Monaghan Jig pick up the pace but still benefit from that bass tone, almost like combining the fiddle with a tenor banjo. From the Scottish repertoire, the strathspey Miss Admiral Gordon is wonderfully powerful in the lower octave, and the set of reels centred on Skinner's classic Miss Shepherd is superb. Drunk at Night was also a highlight for me, bringing back memories of the great Ossian version. The Swedish and Finnish polkas are delicious at this pitch, although the extra thick strings do make some of their less familiar fingerings even trickier. I'm sure there are more impressive performances of Mozart's Rondo alla Turca, and I must admit to preferring ELO's interpretation of Hall of the Mountain King, but Pennycook may still be the only folk fiddler to have recorded these pieces. After a remarkable take on The Green Hills of Tyrol, this CD finishes on a high with a pair of strong dark traditional tunes new to me. Sympathetic accompaniment on guitars adds the finishing touch to an unusual and enjoyable album.
© Alex Monaghan


Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything
"Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything"
Own label; 2013

Artist Video

www.theoppositeofeverything.com

Not so much iconoclastic as omniiclastic, Canadian fiddler Freeman-Fox has gathered a band of similarly anarchic musicians and incredibly has created a complex and engaging album despite making the most bizarre and godawful noises at times. Don't be put off - this is magnificent stuff, toe-tapping and head-scratching, which takes the envelope of fiddle music and pushes it so far out of shape that it becomes more like a blotter, soaking up stray moisture from all directions, making a pattern where there was none before. That's my best off-the-cuff description, anyway: have a listen yourself and see what you make of it. Almost all the material here was written by Jaron Freeman-Fox, and like his previous album Manic Almanac: Slow Mobius this is fiddle-heavy, but there are more vocals than previously, and more sounds in the mix. Brass, woodwind, organ, accordion, banjo, and all the possibilities of a violin in the hands of a madman.
Lots of vocals, but not a lot of what you'd ordinarily call singing: wordless vocalisations, chanting, screaming, and growling feature more than the boring old notion of combining lyrics with melody. There's also some brilliant use of recorded speech, starting with the cattle-sale patter on Auctioneering Everything. The tracks most easily decribed as "songs" are probably the three not written by JFF: Dogwood by Holiday Rambler, Burnin' Sun by Soozi Schlanger, and People Are Strange by The Doors. Dark and troubling messages. JFF's own Back to the Boonies would be next in line. The New Ruckus is aptly named, a swing instrumental edging into organised chaos. Clarity and The Rabid Rabbi both feature clarinet alongside the fiddle, in totally different ways: one sweet and enticing, the other raw and dangerous. Stray Camino is sublime on solo fiddle, full of the sacred peace of the pilgrim's goal. The Tip of Your Lungs combines chanting with Latin and indigenous American sounds, another theme here. The final Rainwood has a bit of everything, a microcosm of this CD, ending on a refreshingly crazy note. Hard to describe, impossible to categorise, but essential for anyone with a taste for the weird or fanciful in fiddle music.
© Alex Monaghan


Daniel Thorpe "The Curiosity Shop"
Own Label, 2010

www.danielthorpemusic.com

There's a very East Coast feel to this debut CD from an eclectic young Glasgow fiddler, and the range of styles certainly justifies the album title. Winner of the Young Scottish Traditional Musician title in 2010, Thorpe reprises favourites from Shooglenifty, The Easy Club, Jonny Hardie, Fraser Fifield and others here. West Coast music is also represented - Aidan O'Rourke, Kevin O'Neill - but the overall imoression is still more Edinburgh than Glasgow. There's an almost skiffle backing too, perfectly executed on bass and drums, and a few other important guest contributions.
The Curiosity Shop opens its doors on a Johnny Cunningham hornpipe that could have come from the fiddle or piping traditions of Northumberland, a saucy little melody with a saxophone duet from Fifield in person, moving into a much grander Scots strathspey on percussive fiddle, and then into the swooping modern jig Dark Days in one of those distinctive modal keys. Miss 'n' Mrs combines two highland reels, Mrs Linley and Miss Johnstone, Pitworth, strong fiddlling over a very rhythmic guitar part, perfectly integrated, with touches of bass for extra depth. The fiddle is even more impressive on Thorpe's slow version of Lucy Farr's Barndance, a classic from the Irish tradition, beautifully simple but full of expression here. The improvised fantasies on Innes Watson's guitar and James Lindsay's bass are entirely in keeping with this subtle melody. Hotel Tazi, an O'Rourke composition and an obligatory foray into Balkan rhythms, is crisp and catchy, if hard to follow at first.
The next three tracks draw on compositions from the funky folk fusion era on the Edinburgh scene. Jim Sutherland's Erse for Alba is the archetypal modern fiddle tune, spiky and shifting, morphing into Adam Sutherland's swingy Sharat's with that super sax again, and then the Treacherous Orchestra standard £50 Cashback. Fifield's Glen Kabul brings us back to Eastern music, a little long on introduction but nicely paced once it gets going. Venus in Tweeds needs no introduction, of course. The slow air Lament for King George V is a total contrast on solo fiddle, and the final track ramps up through the gentle Mia and Micka to a fairly low key finish on Skinner's Pipe Major. A final energetic number would have been nice, another of those sprightly hornpipes or a charging reel, but even without that The Curiosity Shop is a most enjoyable album and a great showcase for this hugely talented musician.
© Alex Monaghan


Cherrygrove "No Time Like Now"
Own Label, 2014

Artist Video

www.cherrygrovemusic.com

Young, talented, and Scottish: this quintet bucks the trend of Irish and Canadian ceilidh kids to bring an identifiably Scottish sound into the musical prodigy market. They're not the only ones, of course, but they are certainly among the best. The EP they released last year was promising, and their debut album (not quite full length, but decently below the knee) delivers in style. Four young ladies on fiddle, harp, piano and vocals are joined by one lad playing accordion: poor Grant McFarlane not only has to lug his piano box around, but I bet all the hot water's gone by the time he gets a turn in the barhroom. He writes a cracking tune though, as does pianist Heather Shelley, both good enough to make The Prize set alongside great melodies by Brendan Ring and Phil Cunningham. In five instrumental tracks, Cherrygrove aren't afraid to put their own tunes up against Donald Shaw, Chris Stout, Patsy Reid and others, and rightly so. My favourite is probably the exuberant Latin-tinged Ritos by harpist Sarah MacNeil, but the prize for best tune title goes to fiddler Mhairi Mackinnon's Glittery Toilet Seat.
While all five members sing, lead vocals are the preserve of Marianne Fraser, already a powerful singer in her early twenties. The four songs here are all very different, none of them traditional Scottish but a mix of Americana and contemporary folk, and Marianne's expressive voice brings out the character of each one. Her equally youthful bandmates back her up strongly, and although the words are a little blurred at times the sentiments are crystal clear. Overall, there are three things I particularly like about Cherrygrove's music. Firstly, they don't waste time on long boring intros: the longest lead-in here is under thirty seconds, far from dull, and most are close to zero. Secondly, they mix songs and tunes in a creative way, stringing a Brian Finnegan tune through Ain't No Grave, and combining Mhairi's reel The Boy and the Boat with Marianne's title track. Thirdly, there is just so much variety in this collection: fiddle, harp and accordion leads, songs from romantic to religious, and a wide range of accompaniment. Every member of Cherrygrove gets composing credits, and their contributions to this album are hard to separate. No Time Like Now really is a group achievement, and I'm guessing this group will soon achieve much more. Cherrygrove are clearly a band to watch.
© Alex Monaghan


Rue du Canal "1er Etage"
Own Label, 2013

officialrueducanal.wordpress.com

Some lovely music here from a Belgian-French-Irish quartet. No frills, just four friends playing a wide range of tunes on button box, fiddle, guitar, lute and mandolin. The Irish input is not immediately obvious among the French waltzes, Arab airs, Latin and Balkan dance music, but Kieran Fahy's fiddle is a key part of this eclectic mix. After the impressive Valse A Joseph from virtuoso accordionist Serge Desaunay and the earthy medieval oud of Gaspard Vanardois on Est-Ouest, the chirpy but uncomplicated El Choclo is almost a let-down. Things perk up with the delightfully sleazy title track, evoking all the sights and smells of the seedier side of the Seinne, or perhaps the Quai des Péniches in Brussels, before Donogh Hennessy's delicious modern Irish air Miss Scanlon gives the fiddle a chance to shine. Pendu au Plafond is not as macabre as it sounds, a whirling Parisian waltz with Ray Barron's twinkling mandolin and great use of the accordion basses. There are points where Rue du Canal lose the tempo and their ensemble playing shows chinks of light, but these are exceptions to their usual tight timing. The pair of Klezmer melodies are perhaps a step too far, and the group wisely finish this intriguing debut album with a return to gentler pieces, the beautiful Dimanche Matin and the swaying jazzy Valse A Nini. This might be their first floor entry, but I'm sure Rue du Canal can build higher.
© Alex Monaghan


Anxo Lorenzo "Confuxon"
Zouma Records, 2014

Artist Video

www.anxolorenzo.com

More than an EP, but not quite a full album: this CD is the follow-up to Anxo Lorenzo's excellent solo debut Tirán,[42] and the virtuoso Galician piper is on great form with another dose of inventive and exhilarating music. He's joined here by fiddler extraordinaire Eoghan Neff and a few accompanists including Ruben Bada. Lorenzo himself plays gaitas and whistles on his own tunes and traditional numbers from Galicia, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany.
The opening Scottish medley sets the scene: powerful and beautiful tunes, ancient and modern, with compositions by Rory Campbell and G S McLennan as well as traditional jigs. Both pipes and fiddle deliver soaring solos over driving rhythmic backing. The title track starts with a surprising take on Postman Pat before leaping into one of those swirling contemporary jazz-piper reels, well named. L'Orient Express is a pan-Celtic pun as well as a clever soundscape, combining train noises with North African percussion, somewhere between The Orange Blossom Special and Death on the Nile. The melody is a fine swaggering reel, and the ending is suitably surprising.
Back to traditional fare, and a set of Breton dances arranged by Eoghan. I can't pretend to know their names, but they will be familiar to Fest Noz fans. There's no mistaking the mastery of this Irish fiddler, a full ten points for style, but when the gaita comes on line it pushes the dial all the way up to eleven. Ireland takes the credit for Crop Circles, a Neff arrangement of three traditional jigs culminating in the splendid Humours of Whiskey. After a brief hiatus, Anxo ends this short CD with an extended gaita solo called Ile Flottante by avant garde hurdy-gurdy demon Valentin Clastrier: quite something. Short but sweet, Confuxon cements Anxo Lorenzo's reputation as one of the foremost pipers in Galicia or anywhere else, a man whose music refuses to be pinned down. Grab this fragment of his repertoire: it could be a while until he stays still long enough for a full-length recording.
© Alex Monaghan


Martin Connolly & Maureen Glynn "The Fort of Kincora"
Own Label, 1987/2014

www.kincoraaccordions.com

I've just watched Martint Connolly playing at a tribute concert in London for his fellow box player the late great Finbarr Dwyer. He played three of these selections, which seems about right as The Fort of Kincora was originally released way back in 1987. Twenty-seven years later, Martin's style has changed and the world of Irish music has also changed, but this early album is still a surprise and delight to be discovered (or rediscovered) by lovers of Irish traditional music. There's nothing jarring or startling here: Martin's is the sort of music which gradually brings a smile to the face and a warmth to the heart of the listener.
Take the pair of Paddy O'Brien hornpipes Shrove Tuesday and The Dapper's Delight, one of the sets which Martin played tonight. Both are gentle melodies, not particularly challenging, but played so sweetly here, with a finely judged tempo and rhythm. Maureen Glynn's deft piano accompaniment also brings out the best in these tunes, emphasising the changes of key and mode without hammering them home. The compositions of Tipperary accordionist Paddy O'Brien remain very popular among button box players, and indeed the other tunes here which I recognise from the Finbarr Dwyer concert are all by this same man: The Old Road to Garry which Martin plays on its own here but which nowadays he pairs with his fiddler brother's tune The Thirteen Arches, as well as two more reels Into the Woods and The Duharra.
The Fort of Kincora is roughly half reels, not bad for a 1987 release. The rest is jigs, hornpipes, a set dance and a slow air. Maureen plays piano on most tracks but switches to fiddle for one set of jigs, and I'm sure there's a bit of harpsichord going on in the slow reel The Maghera Mountains, but apart from that this is pretty much a solo accordion album. There are some great moments here: the change into Touch Me If You Dare, the air Goldsmith's Lament, two intriguingly titled slip-jigs, and the heavyweight hornpipe which gives its name to this recording. The Fort of Kincora finishes in classic style with a pair of big reels, Dillon's Fancy and Jenny Picking Cockles, underlining Martin Connolly's respect for the tradition and his ability to bring the best out of these grand old tunes.
© Alex Monaghan


Troy MacGillivray "Tune Poets"
Own Label, 2013

www.troymacgillivray.com

Classic fiddling from Nova Scotia, and a young fiddler who's almost as well known for his composing and piano-playing as for frotting horse and cat remains. On his fifth solo album, Troy has recorded a set of tunes composed by each of twelve fiddler-composers (not all best known for fiddling). A great idea, this project has been perfectly executed by Mr McGillivray with assistance from Allan Dewar on piano, Jake Charron on guitar, and Andrew Downing on bass. I had the pleasure of seeing Troy and Allan on stage in Edinburgh last year, and I can tell you this studio recording comes close to their dazzling live performance.
So, if you had to pick twelve composers of fiddle music, who would they be? With one for each set of tunes, they also have to provide compositions which fit together. Some of Troy's choices are obvious, others less so. Prolific Canadian tunesmiths Brenda Stubbert and Dan R MacDonald are missing, but the seminal creations of James Scott Skinner are included, as is a set by Vancouver fiddler and super-prolific composer Calvin Vollrath. The iconic Shelburne Reel gets a track to itself, as does Phil Cunningham's waltz Colours of Cape Breton for which Troy himself sits down at the old horizontal accordion. There's a pair of Troy's own sneaky reels, a big strathspey and reel medley by Donald Angus Beaton with a nod to Dan R, and a big finish provided by Natalie MacMaster whose composing talent is often neglected.
A surprising highlight for me was the beautiful combination of strathspey and slip jig by Andrea Beaton: McArthur Library and The Water Boiling Machine. Both melodies are enchanting, and Troy again switches to piano to give them a sparkling but delicate treatment. Gordon's Hornpipes are a total contrast, punchy tunes by Gordon MacQuarrie, and John Campbell's jigs keep the feet tapping - "close to the floor", as the dancers say. More jigs from Wilfred Gillis, a name I'll have to google, lyrical and lilting this time, with a lovely key change. Troy slips in a Jerry Holland collaboration in the set of storming strathspeys and reels by Dougie MacDonald, before Natalie's clogs and reels bring this excellent album to a close. None of these sets are Cape Breton monsters - the longest here is under seven minutes - but every one is carefully chosen and convincingly delivered. Tune Poets will probably introduce you to some new tunes, and certainly to some novel combinations, but even without that it promises a very varied and totally engaging programme of first-rate fiddle music.
© Alex Monaghan


Au Gre des Vents "Soll Lawa"
Autre Distribution, 2013

Eastern French dance music from a multi-instrumental duo, this Alsatian material leans towards the Auvergne rather than the German side of the valley. With push-pull accordion, Central French bagpipes, and the charming dulcimer variant Epinette des Vosges, the sound is securely French. The addition of violin, mandolin, bass clarinet and bass fiddle could be more Germanic, but here they are applied with a light touch. There's no mistaking the German names, though: Schwäwelhelzla, Wasserkrug, Der Maia and Arma Bürastand clearly come from east of the Rhine. The dances on Soll Lawa - for which cryptic instructions are provided - also bridge the Franco-Prussian border: bransles, waltzes and schottisches. Much of this album was recorded with live dancers, which adds to the atmosphere.
There are plenty of interesting and attractive tunes here, some of them with close cousins in the Auvergne or Berry traditions. Danyèle Besserer plays mainly accordion, while Gilles Péquignot turns his hand to pretty much everything else. The magic of recording technology allows them to play several instruments at once, but the most natural tracks are accordion and epinette, accordion and fiddle, or accordion and bagpipe. Péquignot plays with flourishes, wild and dramatic, while Besserer is rock-solid on rhythm and melody. There are rough edges aplenty, particularly on the live tracks. Many of the melodies here were collected from local musicians and have no names, which makes things awkward for learning or describing them. Valse Coupée has a very French flavour, whereas Les Voltigeurs sounds much more Germanic to me. There are hints of an Irish slipjig in Bransle Gai Alsacien, and even more unusual rhythms in Valse à 5 Temps. Besserer and Péquignot mix and match their instruments to produce an enormous range of tones and textures on this unpolished but fascinating and entertaining CD.
© Alex Monaghan


Habadekuk "Kaffepunch"
Gofolk, 2014

Artist Video

www.habadekuk.dk

Who knew Danes could be this much fun? Blaring brass, pounding percussion, fiery fiddle and accordion make up the trademark Habadekuk sound, and this second album is even longer and stronger than their first. With a big sound even for an eight piece band, Habadekuk transform the staid and stately traditional dance music of Denmark into something between a Bal Folk and a Brechin stag night. Their musicianship is tremendous, spanning brass band, jazz and traditional styles. Kaffepunch is mainly instrumental, but features vocals on two or three tracks. Not singing as such, you understand, but definitely vocals. Despite that, I'm keeping a place for this CD on my 2014 Top Ten list.
The music on Kaffepunch alternates between feel-good party mixes and more delicate arrangements of some beautiful fiddle tunes. Galopkontra and Svenske Nils Polka are examples of the first type, old tunes given a good kicking and a cool new outfit. Sønderhoning Set and Dwight Lamb's Waltzes are from the second type, haunting melodies lovingly presented. Some tracks combine both approaches - the Rasmus Storm Polonoise for instance, or the complex and challenging Keraus which is the piece here that most reminds me of :La Bottine Souriante. Much of Habadekuk's music is in the same league as that legendary Quebec band, and they also come close to Blowzabella, Brass Monkey, The Brass Band and other greats. Singing is not their strong suit, but the communal carousing on Gefion and the title track adds a certain Pogues-like poignancy. Kaffepunch, by the way, is a bit like Gaelic coffee without the sophistication, a powerful brew, and something you should probably try at least once. Check out www.habadekuk.dk for details.
© Alex Monaghan


Trolska Polska "Moss"
Gofolk, 2014

Artist Video

www.TrolskaPolska.dk

Described as "possibly the first tribute band to the world of Nordic trolls", Trolska Polska distils and bottles that dark mysterious edge of Scandinavian music which ties it to myth and magic. There's nothing nebulous or airy-fairy about Moss: instead, there is an earthiness, a raw and elemental power, harking back to mediaeval and earlier sounds. Completely acoustic, I think, this seven piece group plays conventional instruments such as fiddles and cellos, mandolins and guitars, but adds in the more rustic sounds of Scandinavian bagpipes, flutes, jaw harps, hurdy gurdy and oud, as well as throat singing and other weird vocal effects. Several pieces start in normal Danish style - the bluesy guitar and percussion which opens Sinkadusen or the string arrangement at the beginning of Rumpenisserne - but those troll influences quickly rise up and possess the music, turning it into the stuff of winter tales and half-remembered dreams.
Troll music isn't just a Scandinavian phenomenon, of course. The Irish, Scots, Orcadians and Shetlanders are familiar with the trolls, dark elves, or trows, who play music in the dark and occasionally take pity on straying drunken harpists, pipers or fiddlers. Martin Seeberg, the man responsible for all the melodies here, may be one such lucky soul. He's certainly penned some remarkable tunes: the cavernous resonances of Bjergtrolden are magnificent, the grinding rhythms of Spirrevippen & Grimlingen are among several eminently danceable tracks here, and the slow waltz Nyløding is enchanting. The eerie phrases of Freirgang, the evocative Klumpfod, the light and shade of Gnomen & Sylfiden - all are Seeberg compositions. Jaettepolska is another example of the delicate and beautiful, the glittering crystal in this subterranean world, a beauty which Trollflickan and Maet af Dage share as this album finishes on a gentle note.Moss is a fascinating debut from a surprising young band, and you know what, it kind of grows on you! Not much to see at www.TrolskaPolska.dk yet, but I bet there'll be interesting things there soon.
© Alex Monaghan


Gaetane Poitras & Réal Dubois "Imprévu"
Own Label, 2014

A super-long CD of dance music from Quebec, Imprévu is the sort of thing you might hear at the local hop in French Canada. Poitras and Dubois are no spring chickens, but their white heads belie the rhythm and vitality in their fingers. With the same joie de vivre and panache as younger Canadian musicians, this duo has a more old-timey repertoire, perhaps less influenced by the jigs and reels of Celtic music. Two-steps, breakdowns, marches, waltzes and more, with Gaetane on her melodeon and Réal playing fiddle, the tunes here are mostly their own compositions in a style somewhere between old Montreal and New England contras. There's a full band sound, with piano and bass on most tracks, as well as friends providing extra fiddle and accordion. Some of these pieces are tricky enough - Gaby Buisson Breakdown and La Branleuse for example - and the titles show some interesting twists of Canadian French.
This husband and wife team takes me back to the recordings of Jean Carignan or Philippe Bruneau, old style Quebec virtuosi with a distinctive regional sound. Although this album can't claim the same technical brilliance as those iconic musicians, it has the same heart and soul. There's a mix of French Canadian influences, from Acadian to Metis, and one or two nods to old France. La Vallée Brothers Breakdown is a fine driving reel, and The Farmer's Sons Blues is as romantic a country waltz as you could wish for. Some great tune names too, in French or English: Le Gars d'Edgar, Les Filles du Café, The Pianoman Breakdown, and The Little Bastard which I'll be learning as soon as possible! Imprévu is the third volume of Poitras' and Dubois' recordings, and if you're interested in Québécois music you should check out their Facebook pages, or google them.
© Alex Monaghan


We Banjo 3 "Gather the Good"
Own label, 2014

German CD Review

Artist Video

www.webanjo3.com

A second CD from this band who I've always found intriguing and confusing in equal measure.[49] Intriguing because I like banjo music (if you can call it that), I greatly enjoyed Enda Scahill's previous recordings, and because that intersection of Irish banjo and the crazy world of bluegrass is the source of some very creative recordings. Confusing because despite having three great players in the band, We Banjo 3 seem to focus on songs a lot. And, of course, becaue there are four of them! However, having given this album a good listen, there is so much to enjoy in the instrumental half that I have to praise these guys - and actually the songs aren't too bad either.
Maybe it started with the Brock McGuire Band's Green Grass album,[45] or before that with Gerry O'Connor's restless eclecticism on tenor banjo,[30] but somehow there emerged a fertile crossover between God's own 4-string banjo players and the 4-and-a-half-string sect from the backwoods of North America. We Banjo 3 jump right into the middle of this musical maelstrom, combining Irish classics such as The Bunch of Green Rushes and Johnny O'Leary's Jig with colonial inventions including the bluegrass standard Salt Creek and the aptly titled American Polka. In fact, there isn't a single track of what you'd call pure Irish traditional music on Gather the Good - but there certainly is plenty of good stuff gathered here. Puncheon Floor starts a jaunty medley of two old-timey reels, stirringly rounded off by a rollicking Sean Reid's Reel. Gordon Duncan's piping tour de force Pressed for Time translates brilliantly to the banjo, and provides the perfect foil for that rare and beautiful creation - well rare anyway - a banjo slow air.
Despite the name, We Banjo 3's music is not all banjo: there's fiddle, mandolin, guitar and percussion here too, plus guest James Blennerhassett on upright bass, all the essential ingredients of an American string band. The five vocal tracks fit right in with that sound, Americana through and through, ranging from Get Onboard which wouldn't be out of place on an album by 4 Men & A Dog with its slightly funky delivery, to the traditional Prettiest Girl in the County and Down the River Uncle Joe, both long on sentiment and short on story. The Long Dark Veil is more of a proper ballad, love and death and remorse, while the title track Tell Me Why is singer David Howley's own composition and confuses the hell out of me. With Fergal Scahill's delightful fiddling and Martin Howley providing extra banjo, guitar and mandolin, this family group has depth, breadth, variety, and more pluck than a herd of Scottish sheep. I'm sorry I missed their first album now, but I'll definitely be in the queue for the next one.
© Alex Monaghan


Stolen Notes "The Loot"
Own Label, 2013

Artist Video

www.stolen-notes.com

Playing in the broad space between Irish, Breton, Scottish and Spanish Celtic music, this group from Southern Spain has a convincing Irish sound which emulates Lunasa, Buille, Guidewires and similar cool and groovy acoustic bands. Purely instrumental, Stolen Notes boast flute, fiddle, bouzouki, bodhrán and even uilleann pipes. This is their first full album, and is mainly their own material - compositions by Almaraz, Moreno and Parra - along with some traditional pieces and several tunes by unacknowledged modern composers.
The opening set serves as a representative taster for The Loot. A slow reel McGoldrick style on pipes and flute, and a couple of quicker ones bringing in fiddle and whistle, are sympathetically backed by bouzouki and bodhrán. Jigs next, with some powerful pipes and flute again, before a relaxed Breton set reveals finger-picked guitar behind a very traditional arrangement of old and new tunes, culminating in a Balkan composition by fluter Juan Almaraz. A bamboo flute air, one of only two seriously slow pieces here, is followed by Phil Cunningham's Wing Commander reel moved down to G to make it handier on the pipes.
I should say that the piping here is unusually fine, fluid and accomplished, not lacking in ornamentation like some European examples: there's enough going on to keep it interesting, without hampering the flow. Afgan Lash is a good example, ending with Niall Keegan's great modal reel Trip to Pakistan. The next couple of tracks sound more Spanish to me, a string of piper Alejo Parra's originals and a trio of tunes starting with an Asturian polka and adding Dónal Lunny's Tolka Polka and the traditional O'Dea's Jig. Flora MacDonald's slows things down once more, before the final push: two pumping tracks of dance music including Phil Cunningham's 10/8 jig Leire's Welcome and that love-hate Scottish reel The High Road to Linton with a cameo appearance by fiddler Rua MacMillan. All in all, The Loot is an enjoyable and distinctive album, and incidentally it's now available on Spotify!
© Alex Monaghan


Brishen "Brishen"
Own Label, 2013

Artist Video

www.brishenmusic.com

Young Vancouver Island guitarist Quinn Bachand has teamed up with swing violinist Richard "Mad Eye" Moody to put together a gypsy jazz band with a Hot Club style somewhere beteen Paris and Cowtown. Quinn is a bit of a phenomenon: still in his teens, he has mastered several styles of acoustic guitar from Irish to Jewish, and is a virtuoso solo performer as well as a member of multiple groups.Brishen is based around Bachand's exceptional talent on guitar, with the violin playing -er- second fiddle at times, although Moody shines particularly on Radiohead's instrumental Nude and on a couple of his own compositions. The addition of Joey Smith on double bass and Reuben Wier on rhythm guitar (who also sings two songs here) gives a full jazz quartet sound. The only augmentation to this core foursome is a touch of sentimental accordion from Adrian Dolan.
The Radiohead cover is an exception to Brishen's vintage style. Most of this CD is '30s and '40s jazz and swing - the likes of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and of course Django Reinhardt - with Richard and Quinn composing in the same genre. Reinhardt's classic Belleville kicks things off, a showpiece for guitar with soaring swing fiddle breaks. The Pacific strains of Annie's Waltz, the first of three Bachand compositions, are more lyrical. Blue Drag is a demanding piece, a Tin Pan Alley song which Quinn and Richard dress up in jazz finery. Just to add to their range, Brishen throw in a Romanian klezmer dance with Quinn switching to tenor banjo for some furious acceleration. And so they continue: Lady Be Good, Betsy's Theme from the dark 1976 film Taxi Driver, more Moody and Quinn originals, and a final homage to Reinhardt with Duke Ellington's timeless It Don't Mean a Thing. The musicianship is spot on throughout, and the jazz temperature is kept as warm as toast. Serious fun from some seriously good musicians, Brishen is well worth a listen.
© Alex Monaghan


Còig "Five"
Own Label, 2014

Artist Video

www.coig.ca

Three great young fiddlers from Cape Breton Island, and an outstanding Cape Breton piano player, plus multi-instrumentalist Darren McMullen who somehow sneaked across the sound at Port Hawkesbury to join these guys: that's Còig, the latest Canadian supergroup. Còig actually means "five" in Scots Gaelic, so the album title is no surprise, and the supergroup claim is unsurprising too as all three fiddlers are established stars with solo and group albums aplenty. Chrissy Crowley and Rachel Davis come from the new crop of female fiddlers, feisty and forward-thinking but with a sweetness to their playing which tempers their Cape Breton firepower. Colin Grant is one of the most talked-about young Cape Breton players, at the heart of iconoclasts Sprag Session and a prolific composer too. There's a bit of singing on Five, but not too much even for me. The last two tracks are re-releases of the Còig guest appearances on Rachel and Chrissy's last solo recordings, which still leaves a full hour of new material in the first dozen selections here, so those bonus tracks really are a bonus.
Big sets of strathspeys and reels dominate Five, as they do at Cape Breton dances. These musicians have all honed their craft playing for the village hop, so there's bags of lift in Còig's music. Whether it's traditional heavyweights such as Inverary Castle and The Oak Tree, or newcomers like Shoot to Kill and The Foxy Nobber, Còig's performance is full of passion and musicality. I get the impression that different fiddlers lead different tracks, and indeed some are led by banjo or piano - the delightful Choufflé Soufflé clogs for instance. There are jigs too: now I'm a firm believer in changing key when I change tune, and sometimes even when I don't, but Cape Breton music doesn't work like that. With much of the music based on the Scottish piping repertoire, even the fiddle tunes tend to be based around D and A, so it's just not in their DNA to switch keys. However, the D Jigs set here does change key - from Em to G to Am! No D jigs in it at all. Pretty Irish in fact. And that's not the only Irish influence: Greig's Pipes, Mary and the Soldier and even a seductive slow version of The Boys of Ballisodare remind us that emigrants from Erin's Isle also poured into Atlantic Canada. Darren sings Paul Brady's version of the Irish song, but Rachel sticks to the Scottsh repertoire: the Gaelic Nach Muladach Muladach and Dougie MacLean's She Loves Me, both sung high and clear. A bit of French, a bit of Irish, a wee dram of Gaelic and a full helping of Cape Breton Scotch: this is a mighty powerful fiddle cocktail from Còig.
© Alex Monaghan


Iain Copeland "A Northerly Land"
Skye Records, 2013

www.iaincopeland.com

Averaging six minutes per track, this is a heavyweight album born of Iain's artistic residency with the Mackay Country Community Trust, in and around Tongue on the north coast of Scotland. As a drummer and keyboards player, Iain's work with various bands is well known and crosses several genres in the complex Scottish music scene. A Northerly Land takes those multiple strands and intertwines them with unique experiences in north west Sutherland to create an evocative mixture of music, soundscapes, songs and stories. Copeland plays percussion and a few other things here. He's joined by some well known guests on pipes, whistles, fiddle, guitars and bass.
Halcyon Daze puts me in mind of the music of Andalucia, whereas Ailidh Dall of Lairg is reminiscent of work by Martyn Bennett or Paul Mounsey combining poetry, pipes and programming. Homeward Bound takes a jig by Battlefield fiddler Alasdair White, and adds rock drumming and a kicking brass section. The title track is one of a handful commemorating Sutherland characters, some of whom departed this life during Iain's residency. This combination of folk and funk, music and poetry, continues throughout the CD, mixing the very modern with the truly ancient sounds of Sutherland.
Traditional reels, Gaelic poems, spoken word, chants and chanters: Iain Copeland has woven many threads into his homespun cloth. He finishes with a selection of reels dedicated to Neil Ewart of Ardnamurchan, a young fiddler with the great highland band Sketch, one of Iain's other projects. With its great respect for the past, A Northerly Land is still forward looking and full of the sparks of new music. One or two of these tracks are bound to set your imagination ablaze.
© Alex Monaghan


Petunia "Inside of You"
Own Label , 2014

www.petuniamusic.com

A Canadian one-off, Petunia is not easy to describe. I'd characterise this music as progressive blues or maybe rockabilly - there's the guitars and wailing vocals, the straying into jazz and country, and the trusty themes of abandonment, misery, religion, runaway trains, and of course bicycles. Petunia's strong male voice, ranging from a rich bass to a convincing falsetto, is backed by banjo, brass, fiddle, ukulele, keyboard, drums and bass. There's a lot of black humour here - at least I hope so - and a fair amount of irreverence, all set in a varied musical landscape. Primitive Love draws on ideas from the Rocky Horror Show. Forgotten Melody is more like the soundtrack to Borat. Teardrops Rolling moves into a macabre Zydeco swamp groove. Basically, a lot of Petunia's songs are just plain weird. It's all songs too, no instrumentals, which is weird enough in itself. In between there's some halfway normal blues from Mississippi to Memphis. The bonus track goes in yet another direction, Latin soul sung in Mexican Spanish. Great sleeve design, too, positively infernal. At this point words fail me: try this yourself at www.petuniamusic.com!
© Alex Monaghan



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