The Crooke Fiddle Band are a perfect example of a group who can take traditional and conventional instrumentation and can brew a truly original and exciting stew of music. On their album Moving Pieces Of The Sea they used violins, guitars, cellos, karimbas, marimbas, cittern, doubles basses and cellos to create a unique essence of folk combined with math rock, metal, progressive and experimental music.
The music is quirky and refreshing, delivered with a real sense of purpose. It's showcases a real depth of style which is at times complicated, emotive, highly technical and shows a wonderful disrespect for conventional composition. Every few seconds the music throws a surprise with a cosmopolitan rhythm or a dazzling violin run.
'The Vanishing Shapes Of A Better' is a delightful opener. It's light, dramatic, dark and climactic, and with that kind of diversity you can truly indulge your listening palette. 'Shanti' and the Singing Fish' is much more minimalist, and is certainly an effectively darker and weepier affair. The star of the show is the violin, carrying the track and providing a hallmark for the album as a whole.
There is one area that did not particularly excite me or impress me - the vocals. For all the power and diversity of the instrumentation, the vocals sound weak, unimpressive and unrecognizable by comparison. They're too bland, tasteless, lacking seasoning. They do not add to the brilliance of the instrumentation and should of probably been left off the album.
Saying that, as a whole this album is assertive, identifiable and distinct. This band has it's own vessel of noise that's well worth listening to.
Rating - 8/10
http://birdsrobe.bandcamp.com/album/moving-pieces-of-the-sea
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