CC Smugglers
Album: New Roots Music
Label: Cabin
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.ccsmugglers.co.uk

Initial impression of this CD, the first (as far as I know) from Bedfordshire's perennially hardworking, hard-gigging alt-country outfit CC Smugglers, is of ultra-enthusiastic rootsy mayhem, bordering on novelty value at times but containing some self-evidently classy musicianship in amongst all the notes. It would seem that no less an eccentric than Seasick Steve has heartily endorsed their "guerrilla-style busking" (which they'll be taking to the upcoming shows of their heroes Old Crow Medicine Show in the very near future), and they've managed to get booked by the BBC Introducing team onto a number of key festival stages.

Although they can often border on the oddball in terms of approach, and while naming the likes of Tom Waits, Muddy Waters and Doc Watson among their inspirations, they clearly have great respect for the music. The able quintet (Richie Prynne, Ryan Thomas, Dan Edwards, Tom Phoenix and Spark L. Horse) slips in and out of musical skins like that ol' chameleon, and seems equally at home with hard-driving electric blues (Jealous Man and Devil), innovatively-sprung old-time and skiffle (Reuben's Train), gentler rockabilly (Rushin' Water), beautifully delicate acoustic backporch (Bread And Water) and, at the other extreme, decidedly unorthodox Americana (Travelling Man) and madcap speed-up Greek dance (Temple Of Bloom). The aforementioned Jealous Man, being the disc's finale, fair whips up a storm, with its as-live atmospherics and massive guest vocal from Mandy Peregrym.

Even when they're at their most frenetic, however, CC Smugglers have a light touch, and their rhythm section is never heavy-handed, so they're well able to keep overall balance and dynamics in check despite those above first-impressions to the contrary. The sensibly-balanced recording helps - by the way, the band won their studio time as a prize for being named Best Act at Rockfield Country Music Festival… Many of the disc's tracks are done and dusted in almost no time, but one or two are rather curiously prolonged and may be felt to outstay their welcome a touch.

At times I get the faint suspicion these guys have their tongues partly in their cheeks, and yet the very next minute they convince me they mean serious business and are just honoured to be out there paying tribute to their inspirations. So there are just a few underlying contradictions but sure, CC Smugglers come down more on the plus side than the niggling negative - and yeah, we can trust them after all.

David Kidman