Description:	CD on Drag City
	Format:	CD
	Genre(s):	Folk/Folk Rock
	Label:	Drag City
	Price:	£12.49
	Availability:	Dispatched within 2-5 days (on average).

4
...according to our Phil on 30 April 2009.

The lord of all things Celtic and folk is back armed with a new album of tales of old. Yup Alasdair Roberts has a brand new long player out on Drag City this week called 'Spoils'. I do like a bit of Ally Roberts though he's one of these people I'd always be happy with just one album by. Having said that this album has a slightly fuller sound as he has loads of folks helping out on there including past members of Appendix Out, Alex Nielson and a bunch of other folks I've not heard of, don't know and will probably never know unless I step foot outside of my ivory tower which isnt gonna happen. It's scary outside. Dark as well..... As ever the word here is traditional... This is proper trad folk music sung from the heart about old things. The fuller sound is appreciated actually and it reminds me more of an Appendix Out release than some of his more stipped down solo stuff. A couple of the lads here think his voice is similiar to that of Bonnie Prince Billy.... Not sure I can hear it myself but I guess they're both of a similar ilk. It treads a weird path of it sounding all innocent and gentle folky like whilst having some wierd dark lyrics and a general feeling of sinisterness. Anyway it's a strong album with good songs (he's a top songwriter) so it gets the official Norm seal of approval.

Love this record? Hate it? Tell us.

Sound clips for Spoils by Alasdair Roberts: on CD at Norman Records UK. CD, Drag City, DC392CD, £12.49.

What their label says...

· Alasdair Roberts’ ‘Spoils’ album features Alasdair’s old
hands from Appendix Out (Tom Crossley and Gareth
Eggie) as well as free percussionist extraordinaire Alex
Nielson, noted baroque guitarist Gordon Ferries,
Emily MacLaren, Niko-Matti Ahti (of Finnish free-pop
duo Kiila), and David McGuinness and Alison
McGillivray (both of Scotland’s Concerto Caledonia),
bringing a loose and lively mixture of drums, bass, piano,
flute, glockenspiel, harpsichord, harmonium, viola,
synthesizer, dulcimer, psaltery, hurdy gurdy, fiddle, and
of course guitars and voices.
· ‘Spoils’ has a lot on deck, but it’s meted out evenly and
with an intense energy, always in service of the songs,
which are marked with some of Alasdair’s finest
melodies. Additionally, ‘Spoils’ ingratiates new
compositions in a deeply personal manner with the world
of traditional music that has sunk beyond the horizon for
too many of us. It is a gift to these latter days that a
man like Roberts exists, to sing us back to our
ancient home.

The Flyting Of Grief & Joy (Eternal Return) * You Muses
Assist * So Bored Was I (Dark Triad) * Unyoked Oxen Turn
* The Book Of Doves * Ned Ludd’s Rant (For A World
Rebarbarised) * Hazel Forks * Under No Enchantment
(But My Own)