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(2022) Tarren - Revel
Review:
Bristol-based trio Tarren, featuring Alex Garden on fiddle and viola, Sid Goldsmith on cittern and English concertina and Danny Pedler on accordion and hurdy-gurdy. The album originated during the 2021 lockdown, with the trio sharing their compositions over the internet before finally being able to meet and record in person. Recorded in their hometown, Revel is a rich and well-selected set of traditional songs and tracks – compiled from various favourites of each musician – including some choice hornpipes, polkas and Morris tunes, but it’s a self-penned tune that opens the album; Pedler’s ‘Hardwood’, one of the tracks which the three first played as a trio; a bouncy, playful and, at times, spiky opener. It works well as an introduction, highlighting the group’s use of tradition but a keenness to experiment too. The trio are on a more historic footing with the second track, ‘Salt & Sweet’, which starts with a vigorous interpretation of the traditional tune ‘James Higgins’’ and finishes with Pedler’s ‘The End of all Things’. ‘The Stray Polska’, inspired by Goldsmith’s cittern, explores a more European vibe, as does the dance ‘Bourrees’. It’s soon back to home soil with a catchy set of jigs, Morris tunes and hornpipes. ‘Old Tom of Oxford’ is a frisky take on the Morris tune and perfectly captures the spirited relationship between the trio’s instruments. It’s a sparkling, lively and utterly thrilling take on a trad favourite. Much the same can be said of ‘Orange in Bloom’, another lovely Morris tune and the track that closes the album – but it’s a softer, gentler, more reflective piece, beautifully arranged and played. ‘Hornpipes’ combines a few self-penned tunes into a cracking little set, perfectly illustrating the trio’s talent in creating tunes with a touch of the vintage about them. Goldsmith provides vocals on three tracks, most notably on a contemporary interpretation of trad favourite ‘Rigs of the Time’; today’s politics has certainly ensured ample room for updating verses here. On the other hand, ‘Searching for Lambs’ tells a much sweeter tale – a traditional love story rendered with some rather fine and fairly epic synth work. In the album’s sleeve notes, the trio highlight the definition of the album’s title, meaning:
To take great pleasure or delight. To revel in luxury
To indulge in boisterous festivities
Garden, Goldsmith and Pedler’s debut certainly delivers on both. Revel is an exciting, invigorating, fresh and thoroughly pleasing listen. It blends effortlessly the history of tradition with the sensitivity of a modern ear, ensuring old tunes remain vital, and new tunes feel timeless.
The sounds of fiddle and viola, cittern and English concertina, and accordion and hurdy gurdy have rarely sounded better, nor as much fun, as they do here – a testament to the talents of the trio and a confident and welcome signifier that English folk music is in very safe hands. Catch Tarren live on tour if you can, but in the meantime, make sure you indulge in some ‘boisterous festivities’ with this delightful new release.
Track List:
01 - Hardwood
02 - Salt & Sweet
03 - Rigs of the Time
04 - Hot Wax
05 - De Rien
06 - The Stray Polska
07 - Searching for Lambs
08 - Spring Polkas
09 - Bourees
10 - Hornpipes
11 - Old Tom of Oxford
12 - You to Me
13 - Orange in Bloom
Media Report:
Genre: acoustic, british folk
Country: Bristol, England, UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)
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