Oysterband
And so it is with their latest, Rise Above. Where their previous CD, Here I Stand, tended towards songs that were a mite too wordy, Rise Above gets everything right. John Jones' voice cracks slightly on the opening "The Soul's Electric," and the effect is lovely; when he asks "Spirals of love and war/We can't take either-or/Is your love worth fighting for?" you're hooked. Oysterband seems to be more comfortable working in the pop idiom than ever before, and revisit themes we love them for: political passion ("My Mouth," full of sexy anger) and soul-searching ("Everybody's Leaving Home"). "Wayfaring" is about as full-bore an English rocker as anything the Oysters have written, but it does something unusual: the tune essentially drops out and a new one takes over, buoyed up with female vocals and uillean pipes, conveying a sense of hopefulness and joy. We also get two traditional tunes, one of which is the oft-covered "Blackwaterside" (a disappointment which hardly compares with Spriguns' 1977 rock treatment of the song). The other trad. arr. is the acappella "Bright Morning Star," a glorious full-throated hymn which ends the record.
While the entire set rocks, Oysterband have managed to balance power with an underlying sweetness; in large part, this is due to the contribution of James O'Grady, who adds uillean pipes to several tracks. I will admit to missing Jones' melodeon work, which is pretty restrained here; however, the group has never sounded so united, rhythmic, and optimistic. - Lee Blackstone
Oysterband online: www.oysterband.co.uk
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