TradArrr
Album: Cautionary Tales
Label: Hedge Of Sound
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.tradarrr.com

"We kind of started from the point of view of 'let's get some traditional material and see what we can do with it'…." says veteran protagonist PJ Wright, trying to explain the rationale behind this debut album from TRADarrr, a folk-rock supergroup if you like. Formed from the remnants of the much-loved and much-missed Little Johnny England, TRADarrr are Guy Fletcher, Mark Stevens, PJ Wright, Gregg Cave and Marion Fleetwood with guest appearances on the album from Chris Leslie, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders, Pete Scrowther, Jerry Donahue, Marcus Parkinson, Simon Care, Gareth Turner and Kristaps Fisher.

And it's an album that surprises and delights in equal measure, with opening track "English Folk Song Suite (Part 1)" being a particularly fine example of what this band bring to the altar of folk consciousness. Based note for note on the Vaughan Williams arrangement, this is an instrumental tune that fair bounces along on the back of an infectious fiddle / melodeon tune, punctuated with subtle trumpet refrains, understated electric guitar work, and even a cod-reggae section that sits perfectly at ease within the song as a whole.

"Mad Dog", an Oliver Goldsmith poem set to music written by Gregg Cave, is another of those deep and earthy English folk song riffs that seem to suit the electric instrumentation so well. Hyp-notic and spatial in it's composition, set to vocals by Gregg himself, and augmented by some subtle bluesy slide breaks by PJ - it's atypical of the sound and feel TRADarrr have cleverly formulated for the album.

And it's a sound that has it's roots deeply buried back in the mists of time when a fledgling Fairport Convention pretty much gave birth to the folk-rock genre with "Liege & Lief". TRADarrr have taken that inspiration, and although vitally retaining that quintessential English feel they have added a 21st century twist with hints of brass, pedal steel and vibrant rocking guitar, and tinges of jazz, mariachi and even a nod to popular culture.

Above all, it's a sound that clearly works to magnificent effect as the Shirley Collins / trad composi-tion "Glenlogie", and "Simple Ploughboy" showcase with consummate ease. "Glenlogie" builds at-mospherically from the opening simplicity of acoustic guitar and fiddle into a shimmering behemoth straddling both traditional folk and rock boundaries, whilst "Simple Ploughboy" revisits that distinc-tive Little Johnny England sound, circa their 1st studio album, with Gregg Cave and Marion Fleet-wood sharing vocal duties. Indeed, Fleetwood's burgeoning reputation as one of the country's leading female vocalists is further enhanced by a jaw-dropping performance of the Gaelic tune "My Lagan Love", a song that PJ remembers first hearing sung by Dusty Springfield sometime in the '60's.

As far as debut albums go, "Cautionary Tales" is right up there with the very best of them - TRADarrr, as their name suggests, aren't re-inventing the wheel but what they are doing is making it a damn site more interesting and exciting to watch as it goes round!

Ken Brown