ALBUM REVIEW
Artist: The Rough Island Band
Album: On All Sides
Reviewer: Ian Sharp
And now for something completely different, a wonderful and traditional album of folk music, a genre usually missed on Liverpool Acoustic. On All Sides was written about traditional Cornish music and responses to St Agnes and the Isle of Scilly. The 11 track album was recorded over a week in a small cottage in St Agnes. The album was mastered at Abbey Road and had a Liverpool launch at the Scandinavian Church in May 2014.
The band have enjoyed recent national airplay from Mark Radcliffe on BBC Radio 2’s Folk Show and on BBC Radio 6’s Tom Robinson’s Introducing Mixtape. They also have appeared twice on the legendary Mike Hardings Podcast. They will shortly embark on a tour of the Scilly Isles in August This year.
The opening track ‘First Day on The Mainland’ sets the mood. A very powerful instrumental with a traditional Cornish feel. ‘Pulling a Rope’ introduces vocals into the track and a marching drum beat starts ‘Duke Of Cornwall’s Reel – The Tenants March’. The band do a brilliant version of ‘You Can Call Me Al’ a track originally covered by Paul Simon. The track seems to be a successful cover for the guys as they have had over 11,000 hits on YouTube.
‘Garden of Gugh’ with waves roaring and lapping up the beach this much quieter and calmer track tells a story and what can only be described as the meaning of life. ‘On Periglis Sands’ stories untold from the past. Having a much more mainstream feel, reminded me a little of The Afro Celtic Soundsystem. ‘Sea Shahnty’ a much more modern version of a shanty offering some brilliantly timed vocals telling tales of journeys across the seas. Fabulous lyric in the song “Farewell lads safe and sound. The River Mersey is were I am bound” sang with a brilliant Scouse accent. The album closes with my personal favourite ‘Midsummer Bonfire Tansys Galowan’.
As well as band members James Sills, Joe Keelan, John Elliot, and Piers Lewin, the album hosts a number of guest appearances from members of the Spooky Mens Chorale (A Fistful of Spooks) and Giles Lewin (Muddy Prior/Albion Band).
On All Sides is available to buy from Bandcamp.
© 2014 Ian Sharp – Liverpool Acoustic
The Rough Island Band
website – www.roughislandband.com
facebook – facebook.com/pages/rough-island-band/314840381856
twitter – @RoughIslandBand
Album review: The Rough Island Band – On All Sides
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