Kadia
Album: East Of Alexandria
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.kadiaband.com

There are few things in life as satisfying hearing a band that you've followed through their early single and ep releases really nail a debut album. That point at which all the promises made are called in and more than delivered upon. "East Of Alexandria" is an album of promises fulfilled and Kadia, can stand up and take a well received bow.

Regular readers will know that I always feel a good folk inspired album is a geography lesson, a history lesson and a murder or two thrown in, well "East Of Alexandria" hits all those criteria and ensures that there is a nautical connection or two along the way.

"East Of Alexandria", the title track celebrates The Battle Of The Nile, one of Nelson's greatest victories, but sits surprisingly deep into the album, by the time we reach it we have already explored a number of the themes that the song opens up, including the brutality of both war and relationships, including a group penned song, "The Navigator" for the former and the traditional "Mary In The Silvery Tide" for the later, Kadia's take on the murder ballad.

The Mary mentioned in that song, isn't even the first death on the album, that comes in "Beast Of Bodmin" the self penned single that preceded the album and which the band use to add to the canon of supernatural songs set on moors that prevail in folk music. It's the way that Kadia give respectful nods to the tradition, whilst giving it their own touch and feel that is one of the things that really warms you to this album.

Similarly the murdered Mary isn't the only Mary on the album, "The Rise And Fall Of Mary Read", one of the two best known female pirates, makes a wonderful instrumental interlude, one that sees Leef Cuff(cello), Chris Bailey(guitar) and David Hoyland(uke/percussion) joined by fiddle player Rachel Bell. As a counterpoint, the album ends with an accapella rendition of "The Parting Glass".

The vocals, solo and harmony are as strong as the instrumentation and arrangements and ""East Of Alexandria" comes across as an album that not only has style, but a distinctive one at that. There is a rich flow of creativity flowing out of Dorset at the moment and I can only recommend that you get captured in the current and add this one to your collection pronto.

There is also a great songbook that accompanies the release, which can be downloaded from the band's website and gives a delightful conclusion to the project.

Neil King