I was lucky enough to catch Box Club's lively gig at Celtic Connections earlier this year! My review of their debut album was published in issue 79 of The Living Tradition.
Please consider supporting Living Tradition
by taking out a subscription!
Box Club (BoxClubRecords boxclubcd1)
Four accordions in one band may not be some people's idea of fun! However, that's exactly what you get with Box Club -- the amassed squeezing talents of Angus Lyon, John Somerville, Mairearad Green and Gary Innes. Their box exploits are married to some inventive rhythms, courtesy of Duncan Lyall's supple double bass and Martin O'Neill's drums -- possibly one of the finest rhythm sections currently working in Scottish folk music. Add to this the flamboyant guitar of Michael Bryan, and the end result really does promise considerable exuberance!
Box Club well and truly deliver on this promise. There is indeed a sense of joy that pervades the entire album, with enticingly catchy interplay between the four accordions and the funky guitar and rhythm section. It's not four full-on accordions all playing at once, not an immense wall of sound -- in fact the accordions, considering there are four of them, are used in surprising moderation! The exchanges between the four box players are so well choreographed, always flowing seamlessly and never tripping over each other. The accordions sound nimble and lithe, with the baton being passed fluently from one player to the next, bursting with effervescence, yet never overbearing.
Comprising sixteen tunes, arranged into eight sets, all but two of the tunes are original compositions by the four box players. The tunes embrace a breadth of styles, from restrained and evocative airs and waltzes, to raucous and upbeat numbers that will get the toes tapping and lead an audience to find their dancing feet! This album is a ray of sunshine; a really enjoyable debut!
Click here to visit the Box Club website.
Click here to visit the Box Club MySpace page.
No comments:
Post a Comment