Nomos: "Set You Free"Grapevine/Solid records Dial-a-track code: 1861
Considerably less hell-for-leather than at their 1995 debut, here Nomos pace themselves for album rather than gig. John Spillane's five songs take him through a wide range of writing and performing talents: Set You Free is ungainly verse, but I Love The Trees a great techno-style, fast-beat wordplay. Scottish and "new" are the strongest ingredients in tunes, a beautifully turned-out Lexie McAskill reel set in full-worked, four-part splendour follows the Boys Of Tondragee jig. Back seat fiddler "Vincent Milne's fine Jackson's Reel screams for a solo intro, Frank Torpey's bodhran is an unremitting delicacy and Gerry McKee's bazouki energy nicely reined. Generating the band's unique stamp with Spillane's groaning bass, Niall Vallely's concertina dominates - delicate decoration, powerful escalation, terrific conclusions.
Dale Watson: Blessed or Damned (Hightone) Dial-a-track code: 1971
This is hardcore country. It reeks of beer, sad stories, broken hearts, hard work and small pay. It is the sound of white, blue collar America.
Dale Watson is a strong and authentic voice in the forthright style of the hardhat Merle Haggard. His driving music is speckled with references to truckers, failed romance, honky tonks and, of course, his beloved Texas. This is his second outing. His first album, Cheatin' Heart Attack, was promising, but lacked the conviction of this collection. It also didn't have songs of the calibre of Honkiest Tonkiest Beer Joint and Truckstop In La Grange. It is country to be listened to beer in hand. And you can do just that when he plays in Whelan's, Dublin, on June 6th.
Flook: "Flook"(Small) Dial-a-track code: 2081
Flook is Brian Finnegan and Mike McGoldrick on wooden flutes and whistles, Sarah Allen on metal flute and accordion, Ed Boyd on bazouki and guitar. It is all the more remarkable in its quality for being recorded live at last year's Sidmouth festival. The tunes are mostly new, the pace effortless, the standard of playing quite brilliant. Definitively traditional-root, its style is a wandering in and out of jazz with beautifully-contrapuntal, mixed wind timbres. The Knocknamoe Jig holds to 6/8 time, variety of flutes affords the luxury of sticking to base metre while permitting adventure. Jizique slows tempo with alto flute and box. Call and response whistle/flute interplay, hoarse tonguing a La Herbie Mann, voice-yelps and delicate guitar on the final Dub Reel makes this the ultimate modern flute album.
