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Written in fRoots issue 337, 2011


FRIBO
Happ
Fribo Records 00035 (2011)

It was clear at the impressive London launch gig for this second album that Fribo has developed a lot, from a worthwhile meeting between Edinburgh-resident Norwegian Anne Sofi Linge Valdal, singer and very fine player of seljefløyte, the Norwegian version of no-hole overtone whistle, and Scottish musicians led by guitarist/singer Ewan MacPherson into much more: a punchy, tight, original band with its own material and approach.
     The album is to some degree a transitional one, between the band’s original and present line-ups. Fiddler Sarah-Jane Summers, who plays on most of the album, has now left; her replacement, playing on two tracks, is Hannah Read, from Edinburgh but with unusual stylistic approaches partly gained by her recent degree-study of American fiddling at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She’s a remarkable player, bringing a new strength to the band, which is now augmented to a quartet by Swedish percussionist Magnus Lindmark.
     Some songs and tunes are traditional, but more are originals that while very much shaped by tradition can’t be pinned down to either Scotland or Norway; it’s Fribo-music, ingenious and crafted but also satisfyingly melodically shapely, with plenty of variety of pace. For the full impact of the current band, jump in at track 7, high energy jumping, chopping, squee-ing fiddle and guitar propelling rapid group-vocals in the MacPherson/Valdal composition Boat Full Of Goats, and let it run onto track 8, a wild seljefløyte-led work-out in Den Kaldsteikte/Seljefløyel.

www.fribo.co.uk

© 2011 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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