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You imagine them wandering along the musical seafront with their nets, looking for treasures. Eagerly, they gather inspiration and scores of instruments–and anything that could be used as an instrument–from the folk, pop and indie jetsam, before wending their way through quirky villages and scenic rural landscapes.
The Oxford four/six-piece's much-tipped, mostly home-recorded debut is steeped in dreamy whimsy and joyful beauty. It's the sound of a summer spent frolicking around the sun-dappled hedgerows of an idyllic English countryside where time is slow and animals can probably speak.
Their lyrics suggest an almost child-like, wide-eyed yet exuberant view of the world–falling in love is "zorbing through the streets" (first single, the buoyant Zorbing), and sheaves of paper are piles of "A4 snowflakes" (We Are the Battery Human). It's in the music too, and not only in the swelling strings, triumphant trumpetings and the harmonies that could make a choir weep, but also in an enthusiastic commitment to unusual, though subtle, instrumentation. "Hmm, that track needs a bit more carrot-chopping in it," isn't something that crosses most bands' minds, or indeed, those of their listeners; but to singer and guitarist Brian Briggs and his chums, it's clearly important.
It all adds to Stornoway's charm, and charm they have in mountains. It's hard not to be felled by the utter gorgeousness of this record. The Belle and Sebastian-like Boats and Trains, all running keys and soaring vocals, makes frustrated love sound truly captivating, while the plaintive The Coldharbour Road (think Guillemots sung by Tim Booth) drags you to the shoreline by your heart as former ornithologist Briggs intones, "I am a seabird / You are the Arctic ocean". In contrast, the bluegrass-scented banjo ditty We are the Battery Human, a kind of reined-in Gorky's which wittily exposes how bound we are to office life, makes you long for a hoedown.
They don't, unlike some of their folkie compadres, do over-earnest or twee, although they get chummier with the chintz on closer, Long Distance Lullaby, which is reminiscent of James at their blandest. But by then it doesn't matter–you've already been seduced by an album, which, when the current nu-folk mongers have faded or bought a boarding ticket for another bandwagon, you'll still want to hear. --Alix Buscovic
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, whimsical folk,
By Major Tom (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beachcomber's Windowsill (Audio CD)
I first heard Stornoway on the BBC coverage of Glastonbury last year; then again on Jools in the autumn - and each listen made me look forward to their album release even more.Well, I wasn't disappointed. Stornoway play catchy, folksy, breezy pop songs, with well-crafted lyrics, and a tone that deftly manages to stay just the right side of sounding twee. The highlights of the album are "Zorbing", "Fuel up" and "The end of the movie", with "The coldharbour road", "Boats and trains" and "Long distance lullaby" all good numbers too. Their style in so irresistably unselfconscious, that the odd miss-step, like the rather over-earnest "We are the battery human" is easily forgiven. Highly recommended.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superb debut album.,
By
This review is from: Beachcomber's Windowsill (MP3 Download)
Stornaway is a name that immediately conjures thoughts of wild coasts, folk tunes, Scotland and traditional instruments and whilst they don't sound like Fairport Convention with a Scottish slant, they do have a certain earthy quality that has lead to this rather fine debut album.I hadn't heard anything about this lot before I heard the album, which meant it was bound to be a surprise, and it did not disappoint. There's a joyous feel about the whole record, whilst it's rooted in folk it certainly feels very relevant today with its subject matter and soaring tunes. I'd imagine live it would bring about a really stonking live show. As an album it has that most important of qualities, staying power. It's been on my ipod since I first bought it and has had over 10 full run throughs as well as forming part of a great genius mix on my computer sat amongst better known Brit bands. If you like Turin Brakes, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, or Pentangle, you're in good company here, but Stornaway sound much more relevant in todays world. Buy this and find one of the sountracks to the summer of 2010. Brilliant.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The term 'modern folk' makes sense,
By
This review is from: Beachcomber's Windowsill (Audio CD)
In some ways, the concept of 'modern folk music' seems to make little sense, and yet at the time of their creation, every traditional folk song was new and, in its own way and relative to its time, 'modern'.Stornoway's music may rarely be of the singalong variety and yet, in their way, they capture the essence of our time and of people living in this time. Their songs range from the catchy to the contemplative. Moods swing between bright happiness and soothing calm, yet never fall into the cliches of being overly-sweet or unnecessarily gloomy. This is not folk music for those who think of folksingers as finger-in-the-ear wailers and warblers. This music is thoughtful; inspired by living in the 21st century and - yes - modern. Incidentally, if you enjoy those songs on this CD which are fragile and have a sort of 'acoustic rippling' effect, then check out the recently re-released recording by HUNTER MUSKETT (available on Amazon). Although recorded back in the 70's, their music has many of the same qualities as that recorded by Stornoway. Both CD's are examples of beautifully recorded and realised 'modern folk'.
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