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PHIL ODGERS Roll To The Left Vinyl Star VSRDO009
Phil Odgers, forever Swill, if like me you appreciated The Men They Couldn’t Hang, seemingly loves trains. Not just that though: proper trains, none of your poncey diesels or electric, these are trains powered by steam! The Men cut Rain, Steam & Speed back in the day and here with similar iconography there’s the Edinburgh night train or some such speeding across the cover to destina- tions unknown.
However, should you imagine Roll To The
Left to be a full-ahead album with rapid momentum, think again. There is calm and consideration, a stripped-back ensemble, including old chum Bobby Valentino on fid- dle and mandolin, giving simple shape to a series of vignettes that most of us recognise as life. There are hints of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, even a semblance of the punkish spirit which drove MTCH as well as brass of all shades and splendidly, a Wurlitzer electric piano. Despite the Americana influences (reg- gae as well if his Facebook page is to be believed), the songs are firmly rooted in home soil and experience, even if their themes are international. Take Mist On The Water where the narrator time-travels between the serene present and the turbu- lent past where boats pulled away from shore carrying soldiers to an uncertain fate, or the opening track which documents an overnight train ride through our green and pleasant land. Even the lyrics reference “a good few bob” (that’s shillings for those who’ve never known pre-decimal coinage) or The Rose & Crown pub where a clutch of ne’er-do-wells scheme. That wouldn’t scan on the mean streets of Chicago. Elsewhere there is regret (No Getting Over You), bittersweet parting (Moving On Again), stoic socialism (Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down) and hopeful optimism (Tomorrow Will Be Fine).
Roll To The Left is a sharp, thoughtful collection from an old hand who happily skips between and merges genres. Laid down in Steve Lillywhite’s studio there is a clarity in James Knight’s production and a valedictory moment for Swill when he plays Johnny Cash’s guitar on The Train. All round delight- ful. Distribution comes through Cargo.
swillodgers.co.uk Simon Jones Richard Thompson
THE RECOLLECTIVE The Recollective The Recollective TRC0021
This is the debut album from a four-piece band of Irish and Scottish musicians who play a mixture of traditional and original material primarily from Ireland and Scotland. Together they create a vibrant, razor-sharp sound which – with its soaring flute and fiddle, driv- ing rhythm guitar and percussion – at times evokes The Bothy Band. The instrumentals are fluent and crystal clear, and the reels, jigs and marches have real zip and bite. The bal- lads on the album (Gin I Were A Baron’s Heir, True Love Knows No Season, Billy Taylor, Tom Paine’s Bones) are atmospherically per- formed, and Calum Morrison’s vocal delivery is warm and engaging.
The line-up is Calum Morrison (vocals and guitar), Karen Hickey (fiddle), Michael Coult (flute) and Kieran Leonard (bodhrán and drums), plus James Blennerhassett guest- ing on double bass. Calum Morrison is from Glasgow with musical/family roots in Done- gal, Ireland. Karen Hickey is from Co Mayo. Michael Coult is from Lancashire and devel- oped his flute-playing in the Manchester Irish music scene before moving to Limerick. Kier- an Leonard is a percussionist and bodhrán- man from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. They are a band worth watching out for, and this is a classy and elegant debut album.
therecollective.ie Paul Matheson
RICHARD THOMPSON 13 Rivers Proper PRPCD 150P
Not much you can say about RT that hasn’t already been said. The blessed Richard Thompson, as June Tabor used to call him.
A brilliant songwriter, a fantastic gui- tarist, emotional singer… acoustic/ electric/ solo/ band/ trio… he just keeps right on doing it. And doing it with the energy and commit- ment of a hungry teenager off on his magical mystery tour.
After his spate of acoustic retrospectives, he launches into full band mode and one dynamic blast of that exhilarating electric guitar and you’re dancing on the ceiling; it’s like a firework display when he lets rip. Relentless drums, formidable melodies, hyp-
notic choruses and sinister themes (The Dog In You, Her Love Was Meant For Me, Shaking The Gates). Dear Lord, he even sounds like Leonard Cohen at one point!
Michael Jerome (drums, percussion),
Taras Prodaniuk (bass), and Bobby Eichorn (guitar) add texture to the party, but this is Thompson’s show, still venomous after all these years.
richardthompson-music.com Colin Irwin VARIOUS ARTISTS
Yoruba! Songs & Rhythms For The Yoruba Gods in Nigeria Soul Jazz Music SJR CD399
The Yoruba people of Nigeria and neighbour- ing Benin number some 40-odd millions mak- ing them one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. The informative 40-page booklet (in the CD format – the album is also available as a double LP) contains many excellent photos and two essays. One talks about the musical diasporas of the Yoruba slaves in the New World and their strong influence on Latin music in Cuba, Brazil and on jazz in the USA. The other talks about the old religion of the Yoruba and that is more relevant to this album, informing on its content as it does.
The performers are a ten-piece combina- tion called Konkere Beats, singers, dancers and drummers. Apart from a couple devote to drumming, the rest are songs of homage and honour to the various religious figures. The very pragmatic approach to spirituality has allowed them to accept the precepts of Islam and Christianity and place them along- side their older figures of worship.
Musically, this is very lively stuff, the singing is full-throated and strident with spo- ken phrases interspersed with the singing. The cross rhythms of Yoruba drumming are invigorating, especially when the dundun talking drum is involved as it usually is here.
souljazzrecords.co.uk Vic Smith OPEN THE DOOR FOR
THREE The Joyful Hour Open The Door For Three
Third recordings often signify the full realisa- tion of the initial promise displayed in earlier albums. The Irish American trio Open the Door For Three have issued two fine collec- tions before and have knitted into a well- worn democratic sounding band that works as well on album as a live unit. The pipes and fiddle of Kieran O’Hare and Liz Knowles pro- vides a tight, disciplined yet highly creative front line and Pat Broaders’ bouzouki anchors the total sound in a comfortable rhythmic nutshell. The Joyful Hour is chock- full of good creative ideas distilled into prac- tical displays of tightly unified playing.
Boyne Water, Church Hill and Heavy is
My Fate move the mood from slow to medi- um and fast-paced and are tunes which are given judicious yet impassioned treatments creating a full but spacious ensemble sound. Arrangement-wise their song work on tracks like Carrig River, a Wexford ballad previously unearthed by Shades Of MacMurrough in the early ‘70s, colours rather than dominates the song, allowing singer Pat Broaders’ subtle yet rugged vocal ample narrative space. The group-think successfully creates a sound that takes in chamber music’s ornateness and the wild energetic traditional fields they plough so successfully. Their command of mood and dynamics are harnessed to create a powerful dynamic yet disarming sound.
openthedoorforthree.com John O’Regan
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