FOLKLAW
Catch the Sun
Oh Yes!! We like this! Putting the folk back into rock, or the rock back into folk? It doesn’t matter, Folklaw have given us as enjoyable a folk-rock album as I expect to hear all year, combining tradition with progress. Coming in with the title track, they lay all the cards on the table. There’s energy to spare, a tune to lift you up, lyrics to have you sing along by the second chorus and instrumental interest everywhere you listen. Stick this in front of you at a folk festival and you would be straight down the front dancing without caring who’s watching. And so it goes on. The first couple of tracks may leave you breathless, but there’s still time for a mid-pace anthem - Shire Man might be a state of mind, but a sense of self, place and belonging does not have to be at the expense of others- there’s room for inclusivity and acceptance.
Beyond this, social concerns are addressed thoughtfully and thought provokingly rather than stridently or preachily, though leaving no room for doubt where they stand on issues like access to the land and erosion of liberties.
So, there’s celebration of the seasons, the airing of concerns, but why so serious - well it doesn’t have to be - there’s room for humour and whimsy, as we are taken on a good natured romp through the English Civil War and a wish for a better world order, if only it were as neatly arranged as a bookshop.
There is a cohesion and sense of unity to both the lyrical and musical themes of the album, without ever becoming predictable and the variety comes from the pens of several writers within the band, contributing both individually and in collaboration.
Fine words do not a good song make, and so the instrumental contributions are the key to the overall uplifting feel of the album. In true folk-rock style - the fiddle is never far away from the action, but in true rock folk style, listen out for a blistering guitar solo - you will know it when you hear it. Other than that, there’s the usual instrumental suspects, but they have brought some friends and family along to keep the party going! Colo and flute rub shoulders with mandola and banjo, and a little alto sax anyone – well yes, there’s some of that in there too. There’s even room for some accordion, courtesy of Paul Hutchinson, friend and familiar to many from Belshazzars Feast and others. Massed voices float your boat? Well you can ride the waves as besides the writing, there’s vocalists aplenty!! And speaking of parties, when you get to the wee small hours and dancing needs to a little more gentle, what could be better than a little folk-reggae? Yes, there’s some of that too. So if this doesn’t make you take a listen (and it’s currently hard to avoid them on the dedicated folk and roots radio shows) then this review has wasted your time! Comparisons may be odious, but occasionally helpful, think the energy of Ferocious Dog melded with the class of Oysterband. Folklaw. Oh Yes! We told you we liked it!
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