CD Review: Out There (The Unseen Guest)

Out There
The Unseen Guest
High On Chai
2004
10 tracks

In the music of Declan Murray and Amrith Narayan, East truly meets West, creating something new and strikingly original. Not what one might expect, this music is not some sort of Celtic meets Raga folk-amalgam but more of a fusion between Twentieth Century western folk/blues and that not always definable blend most often called World Music. Even if it weren’t recorded on a budget, the music on this set would be impressive.

Besides Murray and Narayan, this release features the playing of six other musicians. The sometimes exotic arrangements include the sounds of at least twenty instruments traditional to Ireland and India, among other countries and cultures. The overall sound is always full and sometimes very big and dramatic.

Declan Murray’s vocals and especially his lyrics are exceptional. The music ranges across a variety of styles and the words are always poetic, at times bringing to mind Leonard Cohen, another artist who draws upon the world for his influences.

Parts of “Anywhere Somewhere” especially have this Cohenesque feel, both in the way the music is set up and in the sensibility of Murray’s lyric. The chorus flows out in a way that Cohen slides through songs like “Chelsea Hotel #2″ as one example. The similarity is striking.

“Mangala Express” begins with a guitar line reminiscent of Cohen’s “Suzanne” but moves from there into a cool, jazzy instrumental piece that allows both Murray and Narayan to demonstrate their skills as musicians.

I’ve always been a lover of drums and I must say that Murray’s work on the bongos is outstanding. Although he plays bongos on most of these tracks, the best example is “Never Enough” with its extended bongo solo. To find a comparison sufficient to describe this performance, I have to go back more than 40 years and say that Murray’s playing reminds me most of the wonderful Preston Epps.

“Out There” and “In the Black” are perhaps the most mainstream songs in this set. The title song, “Out There” has a sort of mid-century American folk-country ambience and yet the choice of instrumentation imbues a certain edginess. “In the Black” moves the listener forward a decade or two, with lyrics and music that sounds very much like some of the folkier songs released by The Hollies some 35 years ago.

With its simple, straightforward lyrics and steady blues rhythm, “Listen My Son” is perhaps the song in this set that surprises most. The general impact of this song is that of the great acoustic blues songs of the Thirties and Forties. Some of those exotic sounds do slip up through the background, bringing the song a certain eccentric character, but for the most part this is simply a good solid blues song.

In Out There, The Unseen Guest has created a musical experience that is both original and very special, creating from the sounds of East and West a new sound all their own. That sound is well worth hearing again and again.

Those who may be interested can find additional information about The Unseen Guest at the Unseen Guest website. There are four songs from this release at My Space.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

CD Review: The Pooka and the Fiddler & Happy as Larry (Colcannon)

The Pooka and the Fiddler & Happy as Larry
Colcannon
Oxford Road Records
2005
2 tracks

In 1960, the great American actor, comic, singer, dancer and all ’round performer Danny Kaye released an LP record on which, supported by a group of musicians, he retold six folk tales from around the world. In this, Kaye followed in a long tradition of spoken word stories with music which had begun long before sound-recording was invented and has been continued by many recording artists ever since. Most often, as in the case of Kaye’s recordings, the stories held as much appeal for adults as for children. With this recording of two contemporary Irish folk stories, Colcannon follows in the same tradition.

Perhaps because of the unfettered nature sometimes inherent to fiddle music, in story and song the fiddle is often associated with some demon or other, from simple playful spirits to The Devil himself. “The Pooka and the Fiddler” is yet another of these tales, featuring a legendary Irish spirit and a less than competent fiddler. Based in Irish legend but mostly created and written by Mike Balger of Colcannon, this is a delightful tale with some interesting twists and turns.

The Pooka is a fairy or demon from Irish legend, found in tales told across Ireland and taking on many forms. The Pooka has been said to appear in in the forms of a large, fierce stallion; a black goat with curling horns; an eagle with massive wingspan; a small, deformed goblin; and a huge, hairy bogeyman, among other forms. In this tale, the Pooka appears primarily in the forms of goat and bogeyman and appears to have a bit of a sense of humour. When a ne’er-do-well, Sean Seamuisin, who is only a passable fiddler (reminds me of the Grasshopper in the tale of The Grasshopper and the Ants) meets this legendary figure, his life is changed forever.

Mick Bolger’s reading is ideal for this sort of story, his intonation and delivery falling somewhere between Edward Everett Horton and Will Millar. Bolger’s Irish accent enhances the tale with its lilting tones. This is the sort of BBC Irish accent that’s present in the speech but is so subdued that, in a nation that adds subtitles to the English speech of Newfoundlanders and other Canadians, Americans will not get lost among the words. Bolger easily carries the listener along as his fable progresses.

Beneath the words and in the spaces between, there is the always wonderful music of Colcannon playing a series of traditional Irish tunes. This music sets the scene in Ireland and provides the ideal aural setting for this tale.

A more contemporary creation of Bolger’s mind, “Happy as Larry” is less grounded in Ireland and could take place in any land which has its own kings and legends. The writing, or perhaps the delivery or both in combination, brings to this tale a different feel than was present in the first. The rhythms and the rhymes and especially some of the vocal inflections sound at times very much like a recitation of one of the fables of Dr. Seuss. At the same time, this story of a poor peasant named Larry and a trombone playing king who wants to take the shirt off Larry’s back reads like one of those sweet Oscar Wilde parables.

Again, the music of Colcannon adds interest to this story, this time not with traditional tunes but with original tunes written and played with a very traditional feel.

For the stories or for the music of Colcannon, this CD is well worth owning. It makes a good listen and bears up well under repeated listens. It would make a very interesting addition to any collection of folk tales and traditional music.

Those who may be interested can find additional information about Colcannon at Colcannon’s home on the web. There are three songs by Colcannon at My Space.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.

CD Review: The Town’s Old Fair (Josh Lederman y Los Diablos)

The Town’s Old Fair
Josh Lederman y Los Diablos
Nine Mile Records
2003
16 tracks

If a Mulligan Stew of western folk music styles were cooked up, then Josh Lederman y Los Diablos would be right in the thick of it. This is broadly-based, eclectic, sometimes exotic music from America that gathers its sources from the world. The result is an easy listening, sometimes provocative, and often humourous stew of musical styles that never loses its flavour.

Featuring almost a full hour of mostly country music imbued with Irish, European, and Mediterranean spice, this CD is an excellent value even in today’s erratic economy. This is not guy-and-a-guitar material but the big band sound of a brilliant five piece combo plus a supporting cast of exceptional musicians. Although this music shows strong international influences and draws upon many traditions, including Pop and Rock, at root the music tends always to sound very American and more than a little Country. Coming out of cosmopolitan Boston, this band could as easily be from South Texas.

The raw baritone lead vocals are rich and interesting, not the usual reedy singer-songwriter vocals we’ve come to expect on a lot of homegrown folk music recordings. Although this is not quite an accurate comparison, I’m reminded of the early work of the Crash Test Dummies (for example: “Superman’s Song”) with their dry vocals.

The instrumental “Palinka” is very interesting. The first few seconds are reminiscent of a Drifters (Sixties version) opening but with the drums giving the music a lot more drive. Then the song shifts gears and becomes very Middle Eastern, not in the traditional sense so much as in the sense that Dick Dale gave “Misirlou” that cool Middle Eastern ambience. The result is a very exciting and exotic sound.

Ranging through country songs that would make Johnny Cash proud, Skiffle-sounding bits, near-Irish ballads, Euro-Pop stylings and more, yet all the while maintaining a comfortable consistency, The Town’s Old Fair bears and even invites repeated listens, with something new to discover on each play.

Those who may be interested can find additional information about Josh Lederman y Los Diablos at Coffee Stain Music. You can find clips of four songs by Josh Lederman y Los Diablos at My Space.

Support this independent roots music CD reviews blog.