adriandenning.co.uk
album reviews

Bellowhead



Burlesque 9 ( 2006 )
Rigs Of The Time Jordan / Across The Line / London Town / Sloe Gin / Courting Too Slow / Flash Company / Hopkinson's Favourite / One May Morning Early / Outlandish Knight / Frog's Legs And Dragon's Teeth / Fire Marengo

An excellent name for, in a Chris Moyles apeing act of borrowing, I’m going to call the saviours of British folk music. I haven’t been this excited by a new folk album since Eliza Carthy produced ‘Red’ and I’ve been searching ever since for something and anybody else to step upto the plate. Somebody else to showcase the sheer joy that English folk music can be. Seth Lakeman has come close, although rather than breaking down barriers, he merely ( say merely! ) writes excellent modern and contemporary folk music. Bellowhead are rather different. There’s a core group of singers in the rich and varied folk tradition. There’s the usual array of folk instrumentation. There’s a brass band……. er, hang on. A brass band? Well, most of one at least. Fully integrated into the Bellowhead ensemble are a group of musicians playing a range of brass instruments. So, we get a morris-dance jig complete with clashing of bells of the relevant garb and a parping trumpet adding an entire other dimension. We get ‘London Town’, a traditional sounding piece transformed by the sheer joy of the band performing it. The brass sounds come across as strangely modern, yet ancient at the same time. As if plugging pre 1900s folk music back into the 20th century, albeit pre rock ‘n’ roll. The post rock ‘n’ roll aspect is catered for by the sheer force of enthusiasm this band present. A very fresh, exciting sound that’s had gig-goers amazed and actually enjoying folk music. I hope Ashley Hutchings, Martin Carthy etc are aware of this excellent new group.

As if to complete an almost impossibly good start to the album, ‘Courting Too Slow’ moves the aptly named ‘Burlesque’ into calmer waters, the party moves into reflective mode. Mournful trumpet sounds accompany the singer, two/three other voices then accompany the singer. The backing is as beautiful as the way the singer approaches the song. It’s believable. Oh, back to ‘London Town’. Whilst everything is going on in this positive jamboree of a tune, I’m reminded briefly of a band, The Divine Comedy. Not a folk-band at all, rather a indie-pop group. Just a brief flutter of a similarity in one particular section. It’s enough for me to be able to say Bellowhead do indeed have the ability to transcend genres, whether limited or otherwise. ‘Rigs Of Our Time’ and another song or two appear to suddenly aquire Frank Zappa percussion! A great instrumental ‘Frogs Legs And Dragon Teeth’ is worthy all on its own. ‘Jordon’ will have you singing along and the only critiscm I have is that there are almost too many riches on display. You’ll have to put it down at some point two-thirds of the way through because your teeth will fall out through all the shaking and stomping you’ve been doing. You know, sit down and have a cup of strong black coffee and start all over again. Up to the rigs, down to the jigs….. of LONDON TOWN. Stupendous stuff and one of the most exciting debuts I’ve ever heard. If I gave out awards, this one would receive the innovation award. Can anybody draw? I need some awards!

Share Your Views?

Readers Comments Philthy Phil philthyphil@ntlworld.com I bought this album a week or so back and I CAN'T stop playing it! This is simply the best new band I have heard for a very, very long time. I agree with everything you said Adrian - my only qualm is that the only thing you could find against it is that it is TOO good - and for that, seemingly, you docked a point! I particularly like the mixture of styles on display here. They are a folk band, right? (Albeit one with 3/4 of a brass band as a horn section.) So what are they doing playing dub reggae better than most dub reggae bands in "Hopkinson's favourite"? And the fiddle at the start of "The Outlandish Knight" could have been lifted straight out of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherezade" (my favourite track on the album btw.) This is a band composed of consumate musicians, possessed of an absolute delight in the music they are playing, and the arrangements are superbly (er... arranged!) to bring this delight to the fore in every song. The shifts in mood; from! exuberance to melancholy; from frivolity to seriousness; from danceability to... Oh, come on - it's ALL danceable! - are seemless, both between and within the songs. I absolutely MUST see this band performing live as soon as is humanly possible. 10/10.