REVIEW - THE ROVING CROWS "Bacchanalia" (2012)

The Roving Crows "Bacchanalia" self-released
Release date: 17 March 2012
Running time: 52:59, 12 tracks

The Roving Crows won two Irish Music Association awards at the last edition (2011): Top Celtic rock band and Top fiddle player. The band consists of Paul O’Neill (guitar, vocals and songwriting), Caitlin Barrett (fiddle, arrangements and vocals), Tim Tolhurst (percussion) and Greg Wilson-Copp (trumpet and vocals), together with a guest bass player. “Bacchanalia” is their first recording after having got those awards and the title states clearly what the listener can expect: fun, fun and fun.

Yes, you’re right, this is not the typical Celtic rock line-up. In fact, the band plays several styles, for instance ska on “Love is the Finest Thing” and klezmer on “Days in the Sun”. Therefore, it’s normal that The Roving Crows are crowd favourites at the British and Irish festivals circuit.

In the late 80’s early 90’s there was an English label that was mainly focused on modern folk bands: Cooking Vinyl. If the label would have followed that approach instead of becoming an indie label, The Roving Crows would be the best addition to their catalogue. Their catchy songs and the combination of fiddle and trumpet make me think of that excellent band called The Barely Works.

Check out the following tracks: “Dirty Habbits” (maybe the most energetic number on the CD), “Roll on Tomorrow” (a K-Passa style song), the opening track “Long Time Dead” and “Love is the Finest Thing”. The two sets of tunes (tracks 4 and 9) are really brilliant. They are so good that I feel that they should have included another one at the end of the album.

The album was produced with producer Nick Brine (Oasis, Bruce Springsteen …) and the packaging (digipack) includes great pics of the band members, full credits and a booklet with all the lyrics.

If you live contemporary British folk-rock and can imagine a band merging both 3 Daft Monkeys and La Bottine Souriante, then grab your copy of "Bacchanalia".


Tracklist:

1. Long Time Dead 3:18
2. Love is the Finest Thing 3:26
3. Roll on Tomorrow 5:29
4. White Petticoat 4:55
5. Time 3:48
6. That Was Then 6:07
7. Brother 3:45
8. Woman After My Own Heart 5:31
9. President Garfield’s Night Out 4:01
10. Dirty Habits 3:27
11. Days in the Sun 4:17
12. More Than One 4:27


http://www.rovingcrows.com
http://www.facebook.com/therovingcrows
http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/therovingcrows
http://www.myspace.com/therovingcrows
https://twitter.com/#!/therovingcrows

Click to buy the CD:

http://www.rovingcrows.com (click on SHOP)

Click to buy the mp3:

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bacchanalia/id511346490

Review by Kinksmarkham