Bellowhead, Burlesque
Featured Album
It's probably no exaggeration to call this the most ambitious folk album ever made.
It's probably no exaggeration to call this the most ambitious folk album ever made. It's mad — an 11-piece band (fronted by the ubiquitous Spiers and Boden) with a taste for the adventurous, ranging from "Flash Company," which seems to take its cue from the wilder aspects of Tom Waits, to the relatively straightforward "Jordan," but all with a slight circus tinge (it's not called Burlesque for no reason). "Courting Too Slow" offers an almost-baroque delicacy and the shanty "Across the Line" loses its rhythmic emphasis to highlight a gorgeous melody by Brazilian singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento(!), while the brass on "One May Morning Early" takes its cue from Salvation Army bands. At times the band's reach exceeds its grasp — both "Flash Company" and "Death and the Lady" are unfocused and messy — but when you take chances, sometimes you miss. It might be a disc to be more admired than loved overall, but it's a starting point for a new folk direction.
