The first tune, Jim Penny's 'acrobalance' (478K) has the nature of a demented fairground organ with more swing than a wife swapping party. The sound made by the variety of wind-blown reeds and hurdy-gurdy is simply awesome and finger clickin' good.

'007 Bunny Game' has the Dogs taking yet more liberties with the form, which was fairly self defined anyway. This Mike York tune has a sort of Philip Glass intensity to it, but interesting.

It's indicative of the sort of people we're dealing with here that they titled the third track 'Dave', of course. This almost sounds like authentic french folk music transformed into a soundtrack epic. 'cryptic plumage' is a rampage through a wind blown landscape, with puzzling feathers and the driving rhythms of the wind in the reeds. The Dogs return to a more traditional sound with a Jo White composition, 'Hollyfield, Big Black' , which has the kind of twist in the tail that I'm beginning to expect from them. It's just so refreshing to hear this kind of instrumentation being used to make new music instead of rehashing yet more european dance tunes.

'The Ridiculous Sisters' (640K) - a hurdy-gurdy driven contribution from Joel Turk - is syncopated swing boogie like you never heard. The pure cheek of this tune is infectious and eminently hummable. 'Saturna the Duck' is led with an introspective concertina tune. I don't know why, but I keep getting flashes of a past life as a crew member on the Onedin Line - I'm not sure if this is strictly relevant. Despite the throw-away title this is a work of great beauty.

No, I don't understand why Mike called the next track 'Jimi Hendrix' either, except that calling it something like Janis Joplin would, of course, be silly. It's a compelling demonstration of how bagpipes in the hands of a talented musician can be so much more than a cure for constipation. The final offering on this disc 'Salamander's Siesta' comes from Joel. It's a gentle warm yer toes by the fire tune, haunting and hearty as old whisky.

and it doesn't stop there. This album has rearranged my musical perspective in a most pleasantly unexpected way. This is a most inspiring collection of highly original modern folk compositions. Cute, cheeky and profoundly listenable.

flarn rating 42 billion (and a half)

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