The Albion Band
Album: Vice Of The People
Label: Powered Flight Music
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.thealbionband.com

The delightfully named "The Vice Of The People" is the latest album from The Albion Band, the third strand of the folk rock trinity that also includes The Strawbs and Fairport Convention. Like the later of those, The Albion Band has seen regular changes of membership, but the current lineup of The Albion Band franchise is the first not to feature any of the original members. In fact it's pretty much an original line up and that has apparently caused an issue or two.

There's a lot said about the tradition how songs are passed down and along the people. In the tradition bands used to be regularly passed down and along groups of musicians. It still happens a lot with Cajun and Roma bands, Blair Dunlop is the son of Ashley Hutchins, the only man to have played with all versions of The Albion Band, none of which have been tribute bands to former versions of The Albion Band, the same is true here. This is The Albion Band, they still play folk rock, get over it and enjoy "The Vice Of The People"

It's actually a very easy album to enjoy. They very much set out their stall with the first two songs. "Intro:A Quarter Hour Of Fame" is an out an out forty four second rip at Warhol's fifteen minutes of fame and the 'talent' shows and reality tv shows aiming to try and bring that nightmare about. "Roll Over Vaughan Williams" is a nice variation on the "Roll Over Beethoven" motif. The past is important, but arguably not as important as the future and things are going to be a little different now.

Kat Gilmore is the only woman in The Albion Band as it stands, but she's also the member that seems to have had the greatest impact on how the band sound. There is a sound she brings, beyond that of her voice and mandolin that gives not only the songs she has written for the album, but the album as a whole a certain sound and bloody good it is too.

For me it is the songs that give "The Vice Of The People" its greatest strength, but that is in no way meant to degenerate the tunes. The Albion Band would and probably will be one of the best electric ceilidh bands going and if I were a Morris man, I would kill to get to chance to dance to this band, Olympic Ceremony designers are you paying attention here? If you don't like the idea for the stadium, why not consider it for Weymouth, Dorset will snap your hand off.

I said at the start that this is an easy album to listen to, it is, but it's not like they've sacrificed the power or politics to get it there. This is an album that has the touch of the common man. "Thieves Song" is a song that identifies where the real thieving, robbing dregs of society now sit and it's more likely to be on the shooting estates than the council estates.

An absolute classic...Highly recommended.

Neil King