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Spiro: Pole Star
ByPole Star is nothing short of a brilliant. This album was recorded live in two days at the BBC Christchurch Studios in Bristol in 1996 while next door the trip hop band Massive Attack and its guest vocalist, the wonderful Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins, were recording the watershed Mezzanine (Virgin Records, 1998). The story goes that during the break while recording "Teardrop" Fraser heard the intriguing sounds of Spiro's music and went to check on the band thus witnessing the birth of this beautiful debut. Based on existing folk tunes, Spiro has crafted rich and somber music full of gorgeous performances and sparkling melodies driven by first rate musicianship. As eclectic an amalgamation as the folk music it represents or originates from, Spiro is really a boundary pusher. While using old folk tunes, Spiro has been able to transcend those roots and folkish melodies and embark into something unique.
The band creates a mesh of richly textured and layered melodies as it dances with unchecked enthusiasm between minimalism and folk music. And it is astonishing what a band consisting of only a mandolin, violin, guitar and accordion can achieve as the instrumentals keep surging in new directions and simultaneously making interesting new things happen.
Based on the music as well as what came after, Pole Star seems more like a work of an ambitious collective on the hunt for challenging projects. Every note played here, starting from simple laments to upbeat, effervescent dances, which are full of blistering ornaments, are tossed off with a beguiling combination of ease and technical fluency. The band Spiro is so good that it makes it all look easy, and more importantly than that, it makes it all look like a lot of fun.
Track Listing
The Iron Way, Have a Care of Her Johnny, Prussia Cove, Gillan Na Droer, Heartsease, The Sky is a Blue Bowl, Gingling Geordie, The Lily/The Grouse was Dead, (When it Hit The Queen), Lasses Make Your Tails Toddle, The Black and the Grey, Florinda, Gabor's Tune/Spinning Jenny. Joyful Days is Coming
Personnel
Spiros Exaras
guitarJane Harbour: violin; Alex Vann:mandolin; Jason Sparkes: accordion; Jon Hunt: acoustic guitar.
Album information
Title: Pole Star | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Real World Records