The Bonny Men
Album: The Bonny Men
Label: Self Releasd
Tracks: 12
Website: www.thebonnymen.ie/

Recorded live in just four days, The Bonny Men's self-titled debut album is one that captures the liveliness and excitement that features so prominently in traditional Irish folk music whilst proving that it can still sound new and fresh.

The opening song, simply titled The Jigs is an instrumental and instantly showcases the bands musical prowess. The energy behind the song suggests that The Bonny Men are a band that really excel when playing live and it is easy to imagine the lively atmosphere that would no doubt ensue at a concert. Another fantastic tune is Mullinavat, which matches the opener in terms of its energy and melody and, while all members have their chance to shine, special praise must be handed to Moss Landman, whose flute playing leaves little to be desired.

Whilst much of this album is instrumental, there are some nice vocals at times. Dig A Well sees guest musician Joey Doyle take over with a melodic folk-pop song that is reminiscent of slightly more contemporary singer-songwriters such as Badly Drawn Boy and proves to be a welcome change in mood. Although the songs up to and including this one are well-written and entertaining, the flow of the album feels somewhat disrupted and sounds like a different band, possibly as a result of the large number of band members and guest musicians that feature on the record. Also, Morcambe Bay is, as suggested by the title, a nod to the cockle pickers that lost their lives in 2004 and again provides a change in mood and tone.

While fans of traditional Irish and folk music will no doubt enjoy this album, most of it holds little appeal to those outside of this group. Songs such as Dig A Well and the final track The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down do come close to crossing over to mainstream acoustic music and are a refreshing break as many of the tracks could be difficult to distinguish between. For those who are already acquainted with traditional Irish music however, this album will no doubt prove very popular. Although it sometimes lacks flow and direction, the album does feature nicely arranged tunes, excellent musicianship and a wide range of influences and it certainly conjures up a desire to see this band perform live.

Richard Blenkinsop