Wow, nostalgia bomb! Straight back to my days in Dublin’s smoky folk clubs in the sixties and the eagerly sought vinyl of John Renbourn, The Watersons, Ewan McColl and Fairport’s Basket Of Light. This amazing six piece from Gothenberg, Sweden have it all down pat. Most songs are written by Jenny and Martin Schaub and between themselves and the rest of the band they play all the required instruments to an enviably high standard.
This is the bands eighth album since their formation in 1995, and maybe that’s the reason for my only negative comment. I found all the tracks to be stunning, vocally, lyrically and instrumentally but all at almost the same tempo. I’m sure this band is capable of a far greater range of musical adventures then they explore on this outing. The package is graphically a treat and the band photography is way above average with the snapper in me being very jealous of the wooded autumn backdrop.
Producer Damien O’Kane jumps in occasionally on tenor guitar and banjo with some very tasty inputs from Kate Rusby, Mike McGoldrick and some unexpected 5-string banjo from Union Station’s Ron Block. All in all, a classic folk album that is well worth a listen.