Never Mind the Bocs is a lovely welsh band on their second
album together and it is definitely an album worth listening too. The Brownings
(each band member is a Browning) adds their own extra zest to the band with
button accordions, wind instruments, strings, bodhrán and drums
making up the talent tree of instruments.
Never mind the Bocs have opted to remain much more
traditionally founded, going with generally slower paced and calming styles of
music over rock or folk dance styles. Their latest album release, ‘A Moon to
Hang Coats On’ consists of 16 lovely sets that mix up vocal songs and pure
instrumentals.
Their music is very diverse, which is wonderful
for those who like their music constantly changing and surprising. For example
early on in the album we get ‘The Wren’ a beautifully sung song that helps to
calm the listener followed immediately by ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ which is then
an instrumental track staring squeezeboxes that go through some faster paces
that will get your foot tapping more.
The mix of English songs and Welsh language, along
with the previously mentioned variety in music makes this band the staple for
people flirting with folk or new to the genre as it examples a whole range of
what folk can be all in one album.
‘Tom Fahey’s Wall’ and ‘Fi Wela Ynys Cynon’ are amazing songs with not only perfect lead
vocals but also excellently harmonised backing vocals which with the very fairy
tale style of music accompanying makes for great listening. To me, many of
tracks like ‘Barton Island’ and ‘Y Dyn Heb Fochyn’ even conjure images of the Welsh
mountains.
My absolute favourite on the album is ‘The
Discomfort of Lloyd George’, partly for the hilarious name, and secondly
because of the high squeezebox emphasis (it is of course where my own musical
abilities are rooted) but also the rhythmic almost Morris dance style that I
know many dancers would love.
A great album, I'm going to locate a copy of their first album too!
DFTBA
