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It was only the other day that I was mourning the loss of the mighty Eighteenth Day Of May as my No. 1 psych/rock/folk band with viola leanings but I’d forgot that there are other like minded souls where the sea meets the sky such as Bristol’s Babel.

People Tree followed up one of our favourite albums by Grand Union with mini-album by Babel back in late 2007 (see review HERE) with the impressive ‘Pearl Street Raga’.

Now a sextet consisting of Daniel Coughlan (vocals, guitar), Ben Bird (bass), Daisy Palmer (drums), Martin Lanchester (violin and accordion), Rick Brown (guitar) and new Babelist, Bethany Porter (cello, vocals) they’re still a mix of folk slash indie rock, rockabilly and at times, a touch of Radiohead and vocal tunings of a Morrissey.

For me the stand out track is the more country influenced misery (in a joyous Hang Wangford type way you’ll understand) of ‘Hard To Love You’ and the folk of ‘Rubbernecking’, These two just happen to be that last tracks on the album, but there’s more West Coast; CSN&Y meets Fairport Convention (Fleet Foxes and all that) with ‘Cellophane, Jam Or The Line’ (this one is a grower).

Danny Coughlan writes all the lyrics and I am not sure how scary ‘Police Car’ is (he calls it “a murder ballad”) and then there’s a Kinks’ type-jolly ‘Trinity Thugs’ (apparently about the loathing of school). This guy has taken his lyrics that bit further with the assistance of personal and family heartache and breakup (aka life). The band’s sound has evolved with him and is mostly on the upbeat with a positive outlook; like on ‘Repeat To Fade’ and ‘Make Your Bed’ (the one that’s got a Cetlic rockabilly going on but not bodhrán-jazzy-pop like Imelda May).

So why has this taken so long to come out? Well one reason might be that the band co-produced it with Jeff Spencer and the ever busy Jim Bar. Yeah that Jim Bar of Portishead and Get The Blessing (from Big Chill House, Big Chill Festival and award winning All Is Yes). And on the subject of Big Chill, the opening track on the album ‘Apple Crack’ is warning about perils of disrepecting cider (also see Chilled Cider) and the band will be making an appearance at the Big Chill House on the second date of their tour supporting the relase of the album (see dates below).

So an album with a great mix of genres and tempos, should be a good night out as a live act and it’s a class album that requires repeated listens and exploration.

Forthcoming Gigs:
14 Feb 2009 - Cafe Oto, London
17 Feb 2009 - Big Chill House, Kings Cross, London www.bigchill.net/house.html
20 Feb 2009 - The Croft, Bristol
22 Feb 2009 - Little Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
23 Feb 2009 - Hoots, Inverness
24 Feb 2009 - King Tut’s, Glasgow
25 Feb 2009 - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
26 Feb 2009 - The Doghouse, Dundee
27 Feb 2009 - The Sage, Gateshead
28 Feb 2009 - The Mad Ferret, Preston
01 Mar 2009 - Taylor Johns (supporting Lau), Coventry
02 Mar 2009 - The Freebutt, Brighton
03 Mar 2009 - The Musician, Leicester
04 Mar 2009 - The Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
06 Mar 2009 - The Studio, Hartlepool
07 Mar 2009 - West End Centre, Aldershot
11 Mar 2009 - The Bell, Bath
13 Mar 2009 - The Windmill, Brixton (Supporting The Acorn), London

Reviewed: Babel - Crooked Timber (People Tree Records) Cat. No. SEEDCD07 Release date: 9th February 2009
Tracklisting:
1 Apple Crack (3:51)
2 Never Had The Heart (3:50)
3 End Of The Line (2:33)
4 Hand Me Down (2:41)
5 Police Car (3:52)
6 Cellophane, Jam Or The Line (3:26)
7 Make Your Bed (3:30)
8 Repeat To Fade (2:58)
9 Sea Change (5:46)
10 Trinity Thugs (2:58)
11 Piece Of Me (3:52)
12 Rubbernecking (2:44)
13 Hard To Love You (3:24)

Links:
www.babelmusic.co.uk
www.myspace.com/babelbristol
www.myspace.com/peopletreerecords
The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language by John McWhorter
www.myspace.com/fionnregan
www.fionnregan.com