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.
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Sound clips for Spoils by Alasdair Roberts: on vinyl at Norman Records UK. LP (vinyl), Drag City, DC392, £10.79.
· 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)
