Net Rhythms review.

The Boat Band - A Trip To The Lakes (Harbourtown)

This is a most exhilarating disc, which it's taken me far too long to get hold of! The Boat Band, best-known as purveyors of a specially vigorous brand of anglo-Cajun, have now moved across from the Louisiana swamps to the swampy (in the sense of rain-drenched) valleys of the priceless Lake District for this special project, which arose out of a celebration of traditional music of Cumbria area which marked the end of foot and mouth disease in the area back in 2001. This souvenir of that celebration constitutes a whole album of the "old" dance music of "the Lakes" (ie Cumberland, Westmorland and North Lancs), drawn mostly from the manuscripts of Great Langdale fiddler William Irwin (1822-1889) and other local collectors. The tunes themselves are tremendous: almost all virtually unknown, but absolutely splendid examples of their kind. This is the kind of dance-tune disc to force-feed anyone who says they don't like tunes or dances - for the playing of the four-piece Boat Band is so chock full of life and character. Their instrumentation may appear standard-issue (violin, melodeons, guitar, tenor banjo, percussion), but what they do with it is something else entirely, in a league all its own among dance bands. They generate - and maintain - a driving rhythm, accentuated with some amazingly inventive percussive touches, and achieve a quirky balance with their sparkling, lively and manifestly well-considered arrangements. The playing is forthright and honest, with no frills or flash technical dexterity, but the integrity and guts is what matters and the Boat Band have buckets of it. Their Cajun leanings come through on the two delicious waltz tracks, providing an interesting slant, but in truth I love all the dance-tunes, whatever their metre. The only small letdown comes with the two songs, where the quality of the singing simply doesn't measure up to the playing. In all other respects, this is a real belter of a record. And the booklet comprises a fantastic, copiously-researched and impressively-presented dissertation on Irwin's life and times by leader/guitarist/banjoist Greg Stephens that's worth the price of the disc alone. As for the music, well I'd put it in the car on permanent repeat-play, it would brighten up any dreary journey in the worst of weather conditions (even a tailback on the A591!)



David Kidman February 2007

( NetRhythms review)