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album reviews

Peatbog Faeries

Live 7½ ( 2009 )
The Anthropologist / Invergarry Blues / The Locks and Rocks Reel / Friend of Crazy Joe / Wacko King Hako / There's a Girl Behind the Bar who thinks she's Garbo / Still Drunk in the Morning / The Dancing Feet Set / Folk Police / Caberdrone / All About Windmills

The Peatbog Faeries are an ecclectic mix who live in the Isle-Of-Skye and have won numerous awards for their virtuoso instrumental take on folk music. Peatbog Faeries have released a number of studio albums, this is their first live LP and it's in the live arena they've really made their name. Well, 'The Dancing Feet Set' is eighteen minutes long, never rests for a moment and as well as including proper, fast and brilliant celtic fiddle, includes African music, Reggae music and lord only knows what else. It's quite astonishing how easily it switches and flows. The worringly titled 'Folk Police' is one of the shorter numbers at six minutes long, yet this is just amazingly well played at such a speed even just listening at home without jumping up and down gets you out of breath. Sure, if you're not already a fan of instrumental folk combos, you're unlikely to hear anything other than bagpipes and see Riverdance, even though neither of those things are actually anywhere near Peatbog Faeries or this album. This album that reminds me of Cambridge, of Glastonbury. I haven't been fortunate enough to see Peatbog Faeries live as yet, yet, this album makes me want to. I can say no more for a live album than that. Back to 'Folk Police'? Brass parts make siren sounds at one stage. Bag-pipers fall off cliffs after having given up altogether. Good work.

'All About Windmills' closes this album, a slower tune, something very rare in Peatbog Faeries world, it seems. Everything it seems is all-out, two hundred miles an hour in a fast supercar. 'All About Windmills' is more of a country-stroll, yet we needed one. Opening cut 'The Anthropologist' has some satisfyingly melodic and funky bass parts and we needed those too. All in all not quite perfect on record yet Peatbog Faeries just can't help but impress you all the same.

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