FLOOK
Sanju

30 years in and unchanged for 28 of them, Sanju is but their 6th album. Innovators they may be, prolific they are not, and perhaps to be treasured all the more as a result.

Fronted by the twin whistles and flutes of and joined by the guitar of and rhythmically underpinned by the bodhran of – such is the mesmeric nature of the album that reviewing it has proved a difficult task, as repeated listenings have prompted a daydream state well away from the nature of the task at hand. – perhaps this is what music is meant to be and intended to do.

Having given birth to their own genre, undefined by tradition or nationality, they are free to explore as they wish, bringing their individual virtuosity to the creative party. Giving credit to individuals within what is undeniably an ensemble would be to attempt to deconstruct something considerably more than its considerable parts – a musical gestalt of the highest order.

Two regrets remain at the end of yet another listen through. Firstly, the days of enjoying an album in a temporarily enhanced state (other than that supplied by a quality dram or three) have long since gone, as the effects may well have surpassed even the entrancing nature of the current experience. Other than that, the album weighs in at around 30 minutes – it may be a case of quality rather than quantity – but a little more width would not have gone amiss. On average, with another 5 years until the next offering, there is still sufficient to Sanju to leave it on repeat until then!

Visit Flook’s website