Barrule
Album: Manannan's Cloak
Label: Easy On The Records
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.barruletrio.com

What do you think of when somebody mentions the Isle of Man? Tailless cats? Manx kippers? Giant waterwheels? Possible any or all of these. What you probably don't think about is a separate identity of Manx music, but Barrule have set out to change all that.

They have just released Manannan's Cloak, a reference to the mist that the mythological god Manannan wraps around the island to hide it from raiders and invaders, which is the Manx trio's second album.

The album opens with a lively set of jigs and reels, collectively known as 'The Wheel of Fire', played with great enthusiasm musical dexterity, the rhythm given an extra punch by the addition of Tad Sargent on bodhran.

Throughout the CD the core trio of Tomas Callister (fiddle), Jamie Smith (piano accordion) and Adam Rhodes (bouzouki) are joined by a range of other musicians, all adding variety and texture to the sound. On the second track, 'The King of the Sea', lead vocals are taken by Scottish singer Paul McKenna who recounts a traditional Manx song about the hunt for the shoals of herring; an activity once so vital to life on the island.

The album moves on to 'Kinnoul', a tune written by Manx musician Peddyr Cubberley. Kinnoul has a lush, sweeping melody which gives it an almost cinemagraphic quality. Think opening credits and swooping arial shots of the Manx coastline. The arrangement puts former Mabon member Calum Stewart centre stage on uilleann pipes with additional help from Dylan Fowler.

After the contemporary sound of Kinnoul, Barrule return to the Manx tradition with a song called 'Yn Ven-Ainshter Dewil' or 'The Cruel Mistress', a cautionary tale of a man framed for theft after he rejected the advances of his female employer. Peel-based singer Greg Joughlin, who also sang on Barrule's debut album, takes the lead vocals on this one.

Another song on the album that is both contemporary and highly pertinent to Manx society, is 'Fi-Hammah Yioogh'. The song, again with Greg Joughlin on lead vocals, questions the value of 'High Net Worth' individuals that come onto the island to take advantage of the off-shore tax situation on the island but pricing families who have lived there for generations out of the local housing market.

The album closes with a set of reels, all written by band members Jamie Smith and Tomas Callister and includes the intriguingly titled 'Daub Grease On The Rump Of A Fat Pig'.

Throughout the CD the arrangements are both bold and engaging and the playing of a uniformly high standard. And, whilst the distinctiveness of Manx music from its other Celtic cousins may only be obvious to the most discerning ears, Barrule are certainly doing their best to put the island on the musical map.

Tim Goodwin