electronica coloured with the hip bass too prominent) but unlike Oi Va Voi, who Kathleen Maclnnes is inspired by the Velvet Underground, iill :f Mario Carib6 and a vintage Casio dropped almost all Lheir klezmer I i I r,lr fii Fr r i *l il q ,d.i i n tr l" i +li +r li while the opener, 'Mariloul owes a debt to :eyboard (borrowed from Teenage repertoire upon being signed to Virgin, Kathleen Maclnnes Recordings (50 mins) 90s garage rock. ranclub's singer Norman Blake) Klezmofobia keep ldezmer up front. *** The inspired cacophony uses distorted .'raditional tunes are given a fresh, lively Nussbaum has a pleasantly affecting voice, It's oll obout the voice vocals in a linguistic amalgam, grungy ,rakeover;'Lord Duneagle' is delivered although she tends to overdo the moans squeezebor, fuzzy guitars and banjo, 'ith a pounding dark funk whilst Asturias when staying silent and letting the echoey drums and disconcerting sound )art Two)'sees some bagpipe tunes from instrumentalists play would better suit a balances. A punk sensibility underlies orthern Spain flirt outrageously with song. But Kolerus plays some superb the delivery; considerable velocity and re mandolin of ex-Shooglenifty man Iain clarinet throughout and Sestii has laudable brevity - they pack 13 tracks into iacl-eod. recorded the ensemble beautifully, less than 36 mins. Musically, then,.the . Whilst the majority of the tracks allowing for plenty ofspace and whilst the album doesnt fully reach the Swiss trio is definitely heading for the city. e reinterpreLed trad tunes, Kennedy atmosphere. 1(arfzslzzlfr is a solid addition heights of her debut - there isnt a track Still, the mud of the Louisiana swamps herself to be a gifted writer and to the ongoing klezmer revival. quite as haunting as that alburns 'Bha Mise clings to their boots. 'Parait Qu y a Pas -'composer,.fiows evident in the country-inspired +) TRnCK TO TRY. Romoni Sirbo Raoir air an Airigh or as catchy as'Oran LTemps' is a moody Cajun blues, 'Cassd 'Lonely Cityl which sees her duet with '' Gafth Cartwright na Cloiche' - it nevertheless stands out as mes Objets' (You Broke My Stuff),'for all the hauntingly tremulousvocals of A) a sensitive and beautiful piece ofwork. its swagger, is a Cajun iune, too. There js Roach. I(ennedy's flute playing is always Jamie Smith's Mabon The opening track, 'Teanga Binn mo even a song about birds stuck in the oil enchanting, most notably in the sweet {33'r rl.r$ #.lE+{,:,r ls Mhirthair' (Sweet Mother Tongue) is a from the Deep Water Horizon disaster But instrumental'Love aL the Swimming Easy on the Records (50 mins) love\ tune melding Irish poetry and music after the first ten songs the contemplative Pooll This is a frisky, excitingly vital with Maclnnes' own Uist roots, whilst 'I Dont Feel at Homej a quiet exploration and wonderfully original album which Welshmen 'Oran an t-Saighdeir Ghiidhealaich (Song ofthe dislocation brought on by constant highlights Kennedys experimental nature Jamie Smiths ofthe Highland Soldier) is a dark and touring, came as a welcome relief. So, - well worth a listen. Mabon, the five- atmospheric tale offoreboding as the too, did the melodic'Otr Est Pass6 Arthur {) IRRCK IO TRY: Gabriel Sings piece featuring young soldier heads offto \X/orld War IL Lyman?; a tribute to that faux Polynesian Billy Rough accordion, fiddle, 'Comunn Uibhist t Bharraigh (Sing lt marimba maestro, and another homage, bouzouki, banjo,bass \lgith Joy) is a plaintive memorial to Uist this time to Leonard Cohen, 'Story ofLove Klezmofobia ahd percussion, draw and Barra, which is nicely contrasted with and Hatel .€ee"gascfo,+ift, their musical inspirations from the Celtic the working songs Alasdair Oig'ic'ic to) TRRCK IO TRY: Cassd mes Objets , llger xecoros (5/ mns, music of Brittany, Ireland, Britain's west Neacail' (Young Alasdair Nicholson) and Tulian May 1*** coast and their native W.ales. 'Latha Siubhal Beinne Dhomh (One Day Donish klezmer band kick up o They follow their excellent Li ve as I \X/alked on the Hill)'both highly Lauren McCormick

,i-lil? storm on their second olbum at the Grand Pavilion CD setwilh flavoured by the banjo ofB6la Fleck. # !i} i t.l r*iit+s r-1{ l ii-;,:;? -ir Klezmofobia are a Windblown, featuring lyrics for the first Highlights include the playful'Faca Tu'n Wild Goose (38 mins) Copenhagen-based time alongside the powerful, energetic Coileach?' (Have You Seen the Cockerel?) *** band founded by instrumentals. The opening'Huzzah!' and the closing track, Shaun Davey's A fr homespu n, softly - softly clarinettist Bjarke sets out their stall wjth a fast, jumping Ghrian (The Sun), a touching paean to tribute to the rodicols I(olerus and fronted set of tunes, while 'Lady of the Woodsl hope and resurrection. by singer Channe sung by Smith, is a modern pagan fantasy There is some fine accompaniment Nussbaum. Their debut album sold some telling of an encounter with a femme here; including ]ohn McCusker, Michael 20,000 copies in Scandinavia - good for a fatale of the greenwood. Its music has McGoldrick, Cathy Ann MacPhee, Donald klezmer band anywhere, especially an more poetry than its content. Other Shaw B6la Fleck and Iain MacDonald unknown one. Wilh Kartushnik, lhey have songs, such as 'Summer's Lamentl tend amongst many others, but it is Maclnnes'

teamed up with Bosnian producer Dragi more to the lyrical end of their sound. rich, warm, inimitable voice which colours involved in the So ng Links 2 projectwith Sestii, the man behind superb albums The Welsh language'Caru Pum Merch Cille Bhride.One of the finest Gaelic Shirley Collins and Martyn Wyndham as from Amira, Saban Bajramovii, Mostar (Loving Five Girls) stands out, thanks to voices on record. well as performing in The Devilk Interval Sevdah Reunion and others. I(ezmofobia Oliver Wilson-Dickson's opening solo (r) TRACK TO TRY: Alasdair Oig 'ic'ic alongside fim Causley and Emily Portman. may cite New Yorkers The Klezmatics as fiddle, a hypnotic riff and a martial drum Ne acai l/Latho Siubh al Bein ne rli, Accompanied here by lames and Dave their main influence but rock music also pattern. 'The Gordano Ranter' is among L* Delarre (both from Mawkin) and cellist plays a strong influence. Twangy guitars the best of the alburn s instrumentals: Roz Gladstone, she's crafted an eminently duel with clarinet and trumpet - and its great title apparently inspired by an Mama Rosin listenable, if slightly reticent, solo debut. lt's Sestii had a difficult job to acknowledge encounter with an irate sales assistant lili,lr+,r i:i,ir+ oi::13+";,.ti a tribute, she says, to the radical ideas of this desire to rock out while capturing the at Gordano motorway services on the Moi f'Connais Records (36 mins) the 18th century Bluestocking Circle, who subtleties and eerie beauty of East M5 (you ve been warned). The wistful, *** believed in education for both men and European klezmer music. RocL music is a playful 'The Joy of Lowenna was penned Those punky zydeco guys turn women, thus making it possible for many clear part of the mix (the drums are often by Smith for his newborn daughter and their banjos up to 11 women to become recognised in fields itk followed by a tune written on the 'We have outgrown otherwise dominated by men. Yet the two beautiful Lynn Peninsula in north-west our Cajun/zydeco contemporary tunesmiths politely covered Wales, featuring Smith's wonderfully roofs'declare Mama here are those hardly under-exposed sprung accordion playing. 'Whiskey Burp Rosin in the press blokes Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. To Reels ties it all up with a driving sel of blurb that came with be fair, there's also a version of Teddy tunes drawn from their live shows, and the valedictorially Thompsons'Dear Mary' thats rather wind-blown it certainly is. If music could titled, Bye Bye Bayoz. They have chosen as more interesting and vital-sounding, as are fuel engines, Mabon could solve the their producer ]on Spencer, who has her arrangements of such traditional tunes energy crisis. previously worked with such winsome as A Sprig of Thymel 'The Old Garden {) IRACK TO TRY. Ihe Gordano Ranter ensembles as Boss Hog, Healy Trash and Gate'and'The Cuckooi Most tantalising of TimCumming Blues Explosion. 'Wivenhoel a celebration all are the couple ofhints ofa new ofthat Essex town, where they particularly songwriting talent in waiting with her @:;::::;:f :; :(;;::,,r::;:: enjoyed their gigs at The Station pub, is an own, achingly intimate A Song for My i' *!buw. See 7;El4 homage to The Beastie Boys.'Mama Dont' Mother' and'Lucy: Meaning Lightl www.songlines.co.uk Songlines 77