NEWS:
* Listen to or buy Rise, our new EP: Click here
* mp3s of both EPs are now available by donation through Aralie
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Review of 'Rise' by Bradfield Dumpleton, indie-cds.com
Clear the runway! They’re back! And with no less vengeance than their 2006 debut – there’s still the trademark blistering intensity, Jess Randall’s searing violin dragging its claws over crazy timechanges and the kamikaze mash-up of gypsy folk metal, but the band have added some fresh sounds to their sack of goodies…and what delicious sounds they are!
The first track, Rom Rebellion, harks immediately back to the gypsy fire of the first EP. Eschewing all pleasantries the band hurl the listener headlong into an ecstatic Rom mosh that leaves you gasping for breath and wet for more – then screeches to a halt as abruptly as it started.
Veering left, The Milkman begins as a fat’n’funky reggae stroll, with the violin twisting its way through a lilting Irish reel, then they break it down in the middle, including quirky scratches and squeaks from the violin, before building into a white noise crescendo for a moment and finishing back in the groove.
It’s not all speedcore thrash & burn, and this recording has several slower quieter moments that are really beautiful. The first of these, Rain In The Morning, showcases the delicate mandolin playing of guitarist Gordon Wallace to fine effect, a welcome change in both pace & texture. Another more melancholic piece, Angelique, slides into a slinky tango with all the violin weepery you might expect, before breaking into full passionate stride. A highlight of this track is a burst of charango from bassist Mark Stevens – in fact its great to hear the other instruments given some room to breathe.
Run Leroy Run is a straight-up fiddlin’ hootenanny, with some frighteningly furious violin work and a spurt of mandolin that would do Bill Monroe proud. Jess Randall’s fingerwork is truly mind-wobbling on tracks like this.
The closing track, Rise Of The Sapiens, is a 10 minute journey that unfolds layer by layer, at first beckoning with sweet classical lyricism then bursting into a Bulgarian 11/8 to shake things up, and including, of all things, a Navajo Indian sunrise chant for a brief moment in the middle.
I used up all my best adjectives for this band in my review of their first EP, but the same still all applies to this new release. It’s an excellent and varied collection of tunes, the musicianship is just as astounding and the overall sound has strengthened and evolved. This recording makes a perfect companion to their first recording and it will be very interesting to see what the Crooked Fiddle Band come up with next.
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