The Rough Island Band
Album: On All Sides
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.roughislandband.com

Having recently reviewed an album from the Isle Of Man, it's time to review an album for a more far flung part of the British Isles, Scilly. The Rough Island Band have rapidly become one of the Scilly Islands best musical exports with their latest cut, "On All Sides" being album number three. In addition the band have recently completed a tour of the main land and are due to deliver a five island tour back home.

Whilst the Scilly Islands may not have managed to maintain their own language, they have retained an awful lot of traditions and, most importantly, infused a culture and a sense of belonging through the generations and it's something that you can hear proudly coming through the music.

The music has a traditional artery running through it, pumping the music forward, with whistles, flutes and percussion giving a real drive to the sound. The songs and tunes predominantly reflecting not only the sun, sand and sea, but also the hard graft that islanders have to put in, with songs like "Pulling A Rope" and "Sea Shanty".

On the first play through, the Rough Island Band's cover version of "You Can Call Me Al" comes as a bit of a surprise, but it really does capture the spirit of the album and slots in so well that if you didn't know the song's history, you could almost imagine that it had been written by a friend that may frequent The Turks Head.

"On All Sides" has a vitality to it, even when it's being poignant it's doing so with a light touch that makes you want to tap along, with toes and fingers almost compelled to make a move. The singing and playing is to a really high standard retaining the free and easy feel of a band that is totally happy within its skin. The Rough Island Band appear to be a combo without ego, rather a group of friends that just want to make great music and enjoy it for what it is, in that they succeed pretty much on every count, "On All Sides" is bright, shiny and fresh.

Neil King