Two folk albums
Two fine folk albums have been occupying my mind, and ears, a lot in the last month or so. They are The brutal here and now by Dublin band The Spook of the Thirteenth Lock , and Urstan by Scotland's Mairi Morrison & Alidair Roberts . They're actually very different musically, despite sharing the (very broad) folk tag. Here's a link to a review I wrote of The brutal here and now for We Are Noise - http://wearenoise.com/index.php/2012/04/the-spook-of-the-thirteenth-lock-the-brutal-here-and-now-transduction-records/ The Spook use various rock structures but incorporate many themes and patterns from folk music, and not just Irish folk or traditional music. The outstanding tune on the album, and one I've had trouble getting out of my head for several weeks, is actually sung in Italian - The Tarantella . From that review - The first song, ‘The Tarantella’, is sung in Italian, although its ominous drone opening and building mid-section make me th...