Spiro
Album: Welcome Joy And Welcome Sorrow
Label: Real World
Tracks: 14
Website: http://www.spiromusic.com

So Spiro - Sam Sweeney's favourite band if that's a good enough endorsement - of which guitarist Jon Hunt has said "even though we use folk tunes, they are the raw material that the rest of the sound is built around." Say no more as 'Welcome Joy And Welcome Sorrow' does exactly that with Spiro becoming firmly established as fine exponents of this progressive influenced practice which sees their varied musical backgrounds coming together in the flamboyant and vibrant combination which is what in commercial terms would be their Unique Selling Point.

On the one hand 'Welcome Joy And Welcome Sorrow' is a very clever and ambitious collection of arrangements which dodge, dip, duck and dive between original pieces and themes from various English traditional tunes - there are too many to mention here but they're all detailed on the CD cover or you could just have fun trying to spot them criss-crossing and weaving their way through the tunes if you're that way inclined or even just simply knowledgeable enough to be able to recognise them.

On the other hand, for those who have bought into Spiro for less of a musically academic exercise, there's a strong case for considering at the album in terms of simply enjoying a set of tunes. Beautifully arranged and played and with violinist Jane Harbour at the front line of the writing and arranging team (as well as taking credit for the cover design), it works perfectly. There's plenty of time to work on picking out the intricacies of each track as the tunes evolve alongside a repetitive guitar or violin figure or Jason Sparkes' melodious accordion.

It's difficult to pick out individual tunes or performances as the album is one which on first inspection works well as a whole concept, one tune seems to flow into another and sees the tunes accompanied by some evocative song titles which add to the imagery conjured up by the music. However, for those of a certain age and a penchant for Gerry Anderson string puppets, the Stingray inspired 'Marineville' has an air of a slightly less highbrow persuasion - fear not as it bears no resemblance to the original jungle drums and brass fuelled theme tune - although the thought that "stand by for action - anything can happen in the next half hour" could be quite appropriate for Spiro.

What's at the heart of the record though is a musical journey all the way through to the title track which takes the listener on a soaring and twisting voyage through moods and landscapes which are varied and engrossing. It has an intricacy and delicacy which underpin what is essentially an exhilarating piece of work which will ultimately define the Keats titled 'Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow' as another landmark on the folk map for Spiro.

Mike Ainscoe