Southern Tenant Folk Union
Album: Hello Cold Goodbye Sun
Label: Johnny Rock
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.southerntenantfolkunion.com

Having too many good songwriters/arrangers in a band can be almost as big a problem as not having enough, particularly if you take the democratic approach of giving everyone the opportunity of getting heard. You can end up with a release that feels more like a collection of songs than an album and whilst I really liked Southern Tenant Folk Union's previous cut, "Pencaitland" it took a while for it to click as a cohesive whole. There are no such worries with their latest album "Hello Cold Goodbye Sun".

"Hello Cold Goodbye Sun" is another step along the journey that started with "Pencaitland" and is a more instant album and that's mainly because there is a more consistent thread that runs through the album, horror. Like any good dark folk album or in this case newgrass, this is an album that plays and dances on the human psyche. You can almost feel the channeling of the likes of Lovecraft, John Carpenter and Deliverence.

The blessing of Southern Tenant Folk Union is that they've got so many different voices and sounds to go to, Ewan Macintyre, Carrie Thomas to lead and standalone as well as a great range of harmony vocals. Similarly opportunities to individual instruments as well as the combinations.

In many ways this is a classic black and white album, a "Pyscho" or "Nosferatu" rather than a "Nightmare On Elm Street". Don't be fooled by the titles either, "Days Beside The Seaside With Ice Cream" is as fine a murder ballad as you'll find anywhere and a great interpretation by Carrie Thomas of the Donald Ker poem. "Crash" takes the car wreck book and turns it into a thoughtful

The album was recorded live, which when you consider the musical soundscapes the band create is no easy thing and once again includes innovative technique as using an EBow on acoustic instrumentation. The blending of the instruments on this album is nothing short of brilliant so a big nod to sound engineer, Tim Matthew, for his part in that.

"Hello Cold Goodbye Sun" is one of those albums that comes at you from all angles and simply has so much to give. If words are your thing, there's great lyrics, instruments, undisputable top quality arrangements and playing and a whole that is body, heart and soul. This is one hell of an album, delightfully tainted by a dark shadow, go for it, go for it in a big way.

Neil King