This compilation has received some glowing reviews, but after living with it for more than two weeks I am somewhat perplexed as to why.
Firstly, little of the content actually provides what it says on the cover - it ain't folk, folktronica or even roots. A moot case in point is the inclusion of Green Peppers, whose song is actually one of the better offerings, but about as close to folk as Prefab Sprout!
Too many of the songs on this record are simply poor and should never have got beyond the bedroom. Thankfully, it is saved from complete disaster courtesy of a handful of genuinely quality offerings - most notably from Lisa Knapp, Damian Katkhuda, Daniel Orcese and The Circus Of Dr.Lao.
Nevertheless, even their fine efforts are not enough to save the day, and actually serve to highlight how patchy the rest of the album is. Simply picking up an acoustic guitar and singing in earnest fashion, maybe with a few second-rate electronic burbles underneath or poorly strummed banjo lines, does not make the grade or give you the right to try and bandwagon-jump an increasingly fashionable genre.
