The East Pointers
Album: Secret Victory
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.eastpointers.ca

What is it with Prince Edward Island on Canada's wind-whipped East Coast? Are they putting some kind of musical concentrate in the water supply there? Are the musical shaped alphabetti spaghetti covertly springing to life after ingestion? Whatever it is, there is a new generation of multi-talented musicians and songwriters emerging from that region Gordie MacKeeman and his awe-inspiring live shows, the world-class songwriting talents of Dennis Ellsworth, and now add to that list these three young firebrands better known as The East Pointers!

"Secret Victory" is the debut album, and notwithstanding the deeply embedded family musical roots (fiddler Tim Chaisson and cousin, banjoist Koady Chaisson are both members of PEI's seven-generation musical dynasty), the trio set about injecting youth, vitality and no little originality into the celtic / folk instrumental genre, that many would say has stood still for far too long. Without ever being disrespectful to the tradition, the boys are steering their music on an intriguing parallel course, bending rather than breaking the rules "Folk music is equivalent to soul music in my mind. It can take you to another place even if you haven't heard it before", says Tim Chaisson.

For starters, this is not just an instrumental album full of jigs, reels and tired legs. Three of the songs feature plaintive and evocative lead vocals. What IS even more impressive though is the fact that all 10 tracks are self-written. There ARE jigs. There ARE reels. BUT there are no tired legs here this is high-octane energised music that will run rings around you leaving you breathless and begging for more at the close.

Title track "Secret Victory" builds from a forthrightly stomping banjo tune, infuses razor-sharp fiddle and acoustic guitar, and builds to a frenzied crescendo with the Chaissons and guitarist Jake Charron driving the tune along at full speed and just about holding it all in check. "Meals By Maurice" follows a similar line with some pleasing changes of pace thrown in for good measure. It's a tactic that works well for them, as "Work That Way" emphasises. You know from listening to these tunes that these boys are going to be dynamite in the live arena, but that dynamism permeates this debut throughout and that's something you can't often say about other albums of this ilk.

As a first album, there is much to admire in the East Pointers initial recorded burst. It's an album that is full of promise, full of lucozade-fuelled tunes that burst out of the grooves, grab you by the lapels and give you several Tango-like slaps across the face. It's refreshing to hear a bunch of young musicians trying to do something slightly different to a (some would say) slightly tired genre in need of re-invigoration. Rest assured that with musicians and songwriters of this calibre around, that genre is in safe hands and is indeed alive n kicking!

Ken Brown
www.squarerootspromotions.co.uk