Reviews

Here they come again, the drinking, shouting, jig 'n' reel crew, whose last effort caused much cheer and merriment with boozy, good time, up-for-the-audience rowdiness. So, this one got lifted from the envelope first, slapped in the machine smartly, appetite already whetted.

The press release accompanying was blunt and to the point, this is a collection on which they've girded their loins, pushed a new line-up and written 14 songs that play to their strengths and various inspirations. Count amongst the latter, heavy metal, beer, ska, beer and beer and Frank Zappa! Cue more roaring, lots of dancing, witty lyrics, yet a clutch of material that in many ways nods to traditional songs: form, setting, theme, all carry a line that, straight or meandering, leads back to folk. So, cue songs that tell you to be an individual by relating tales of daring dos, daring don'ts, wild nights and how the world is changing not always for the better. You could call it protest or finger-pointing material if it wasn't for the lusty clatter and general rock 'n' reel; this is social conscience fighting for its right to party.

At eight strong then, with added instrumental colour, strong messages and bags of spirit - both liquid and intentional - here is almost an hour of sheer roustabout and jubilation. It ain't subtle, it ain't always pretty, but somehow it works! Warble on Warblefly.

Simon Jones

Sticks two fingers up at the establishment and says with a glass of beer in their hand that they’ll play how they damn well like.

Amazingly without a record company, this band is a prime example that you do not need corporate management to help you release an outstanding album. This is actually their fourth album, and what an achievement it is.

It has to be said that deep influences from The Pogues certainly appear in Warblefly’s music but it sounds as though Shane McGowan and co have been let loose in the local brewery and were allowed to take a wide range of narcotics with them due to the frenetic quality of this bands’ playing ability. Although the opening few moments of Cheesy Bits sound romantic, these thoughts are soon eradicated due to the track progressing onto some frenetic playing which is just outstanding. A purely instrumental track, this sounds quite like The Dubliners but played after the band ingested something hallucinogenic. Warblefly in my Beer begins quite upbeat and classy and contains lyrics ideal to sing along to whilst drinking a whisky or two. Although not having seen them live, I’m sure that the crowd enjoy this immensely as such an occasion must be quite stupendous.

Their fourth album and still not signed? I do wonder sometimes and question why those in charge of running record companies refuse to acknowledge a band such as Warblefly, as they really are missing a golden opportunity to work with certified geniuses. Roll on the next album! RH

I was barely halfway through this CD and I was online ordering the two previous albums. I am glad I did – they’re bloody good, too. Warblefly are currently an eight-piece who have evolved with an ever-changing line-up, from being a banging folk-rock band in the mould of Levellers, The Pogues and The Men They Couldn’t Hang, to emerge with their own style and make an album of wholly original material.

Their songwriting is clever, a craft honed over the decade they’ve been together and the songs are often lyrically harsh and explicit – ‘Your Fist, My Face’, ‘Sack of Seeds’ and ‘Shoplifter’ are prime examples. The first two are love songs, albeit rather skewed, and the third is a biting comment on modern small-town life while ‘Underwater Breathing Competition’ is about unwillingly growing older and loosing friends: ‘Hope fades and flies are drawn to her’. Nasty image. Great, but nasty.

Warblefly are big and loud but not raucous. Their instrumentals show their Celtic roots; firmly in the traditional idiom and often surprisingly delicate – like parts of ‘Cheesy Bits’ (another good title). They should be huge and I’ll be very upset if they aren’t.

Dai Jeffries

One of the perks of writing this column for the last 9+ years is that I get a chance to hear unique and new music on a daily basis that normally I would not have the opportunity to hear... for what would become one of the most entertaining and enjoyable 56 minutes of recorded music that I have heard in quite some time.

[Read the whole review here]

...Loitered around for the Sunday evening, which was well worth it as the late night concert on Sunday had to be the highlight of the whole weekend. I'd never heard Warblefly before, but they had this amazing grungy folk rock sound. Was pleased to see they will also be playing at Wallingford.

...However, the real highlight of the (Wallingford) festival were Warblefly who, if anything, were even better than at Broadstairs. I got a copy of their latest CD, so they'll be more about them soon [see below...].

The next album in the pile is Warblefly's latest: Tenerife to Dover, which I bought after they stalked me through all the summer festivals. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but they were performing at Broadstairs and Wallingford. It's also not a bad album (to follow the exaggeration with an understatement).

Contemporary folk rock at it's finest, Warblefly sound like what might have resulted if the Pogues had decided to try their hand at the indie rock of the 90s/00s and by some miracle had managed to pull it off. This is an album which would happily sit on the shelf beside both contemporary folk and mainstream indie-rock.

Quite often when buying studio albums of bands seen live, the albums never seem to capture the energy of the live performance. Warblefly seem to be an exception to this rule however, with just as much power in their recording. Then again there are millions of them playing (well 8) and they do work together really well. They manage to get all the raw guitar power of some of the best modern rock band without overpowering the traditional instruments. The whole sound sits together without anyone of the players stealing all the limelight. Track after track they just launch themselves upon you as a whole, there's not a single weak song on the album.

There may be a strong influence of the Pogues which comes across in the album, but this blends with many other influences from far and wide. "Shoplifter" may be the only folk-rock-ska anthem I've ever heard, but it's certainly worthy of the title of the finest, and if you've never heard a Zappa influenced folk-rock instrumental "Axle Strumpet" is highly recommended.

The real highlights of the album are Sack of Seeds, which echos the epic songs of the likes of Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, but with a contemporary edge; Shrimp Boy, which is like being sliced to pieces by fiddles and Underwater Breathing Competition, a morbid glam-slipjig with attitude.

At which point, I've probably enthused about them enough, so I'll just share a link to Underwater Breathing Competition on last.fm and mention the the rest of the album's on there too.

This English band first came to my attention a few years back, when their blistering tune ?The Ballad of Ali Abbas? was my favourite track on the second Shite?n?Onions compilation. Tenerife to Dover is Warblefly?s fourth album, and it?s a lively amalgam of the traditional and the postmodern...read more.

?Tenerife to Dover? is the 4th full length from the UK based Warblefly and the 3rd we?ve reviewed here at Shite?n'Onions - folk, roots and punk with a groove played by PHD types with drink problems is how I?d best describe Warblefly and they don?t stray from the sound that made previous releases so good (though I do love the ska grove on ? shoplifter? as well) and as with previous release ?Tenerife to Dover? isn?t an immediate release and it takes a few spins to get into - but its worth it and with each spin you?ll discover more nuggets of genius.

There?s a temptation to describe Warblefly as punk folk ? a convenient label perhaps but there?s more to Warblefly than that. To my ears this brand of folk needs a more fitting description. In struggling to find the right words ?steam hammer folk? came to mind as did ?rocket folk?, neither do full justice to their sound but both tell you that their album ?Tenerife to Dover? grabs your attention and refuses to let go. This is full-throttle folk...read more.

Meanwhile back in our green and pleasant land, what can we conjure? Answer, Warblefly, an agreeably scruffy bunch of herberts. Levellers type aggression, Pogues cheek and drinking potential, yet an anchor in the tradition that makes them an effective bridge between those who like to drink, party and dance and those who like more decorum and something structured to hang their jollies on....Warblefly are mischievous, a kick in the pants and very welcome. (to read the whole thing you'll have to buy the magazine from here).

Although their third release, this is my introduction to this British folk-rock band. For someone who?s written almost exclusively about folk-rock on the world stage for the past several years, I must admit to being pleased to have finally heard this band, while at the same time, chagrinned for having not heard them sooner. Warblefly shoots out of the starter blocks in fine form >>> read more at Shite'n'Onions....

A delightful surprise next, Warblefly a nine-piece bunch of madcaps from Cambridge and Reading whose style is best described as "energy-charged folk music". With a line-up which included squeezebox, mandolin, tin whistle, bodhran, electric guitars and drums, their style is best described by their own publicity, "souped-up trad standards - from Celtic to Texmex with a low-tech earthy nod to the current electro-folk movement". The infectious rhythms and, at times, almost Pogueish style of playing was irresistible and this is definitely a band you should try to catch.

As eclectic as they wanna be, but still clearly flying the banner known as Celtic, Warblefly impress with their second album, “The Sinful, Wise and Insane.” Their press release describes them as “too folky for the indie circuit and too groovy for the folk circuit” and it seems an apt description. Not “punk” by any means, but still too fast and aggressive for the stuffy folkies (or so I’d imagine.) >>> read more....

The venereable Folk Roots magazine were kind enough to write something about us. It went something like:

"What they do, they do with some precision... and if the songwriters amongst them ever notice that there's more to life than alcohol and its after effects then who knows?"

Well, that's not too bad, is it?
If you have been affected by issues raised in this review, these links may prove useful:
Guinness, Famous Grouse, Alka Seltzer, Alcoholics Anonymous,

Making my way to Oxford on a chilly November evening, I met up with FOS's own Sumo and his cohorts in warblefly. Sharing a few pints with the boys and girls in the band, I was asked several times by incredulous band members "you came back for more?" Of course I did. I needed my fill of fast and furious folk, tradpunk, or whatever you would care to label it, and warblefly fit the bill admirably. Starting off with "The Rebel Soldier," a tune written by the band, warblefly soon had the crowd on their feet in front of the stage. Playing a blend of traditional songs, Warbelfly originals and the odd Pogues cover (Boys from the County Hell), the band delivered a good kicking to folk music, playing it as it should be played - loud, fast and fun. Despite their rather annoying habit of scheduling gigs whenever Shane happens to be playing (and this show turned out to be no exception), warblefly is well worth the price of admission - well, at least if Adrian puts you on the guest list. Nah, I would have paid the £3 to see 'em anyway. I already told Adrian I want a warblefly CD for Christmas (hint, hint).

It's easy to disregard folk music and its ideals; as it is any plea for help. Close my eyes and it will go away, it doesn't concern me. But when it comes down to it everyone has at some time remonstrated in one form or another. warblefly do just that...and more. With a strum of a bouzouki, the squeeze of a mellodeon, and the toe-tapping, cock-a-hoop air of a fiddle (as well as a plethora of other gadgets), they intermingle the sensation of liberty with an assured nod to reform. A welcome change from too many nights spent watching pompous acts with their tedious arrogance.

Boasting nine members, warblefly are here for you as much as for themselves. And when on the few occasions they do veer along that path signposted 'Hippy Excess', it's not for long, preferring instead to borrow fragments from the Pogues, Levellers and traditional Celtic folk. Their commitment and radiant spirit touches everyone around them, and the floor is soon quaking under the weight of the crowd's unabashed gaiety, compelled to throw off their shackles and hop on the revolution bus.

This is an excellent debut offering from British folk 9 piece warblefly, and can be best described as a mix of The Pogues, Levellers and Saw Doctors. The CD has the perfect mix of their own penned tracks and traditional arrangements. Considering the band are as yet unsigned the CD is well produced and very well put together and would put a lot mainstream stuff to shame in terms of production. I would personally recommend this to anyone and can guarantee you won't be disappointed. If your feet don't start tapping to this then you are quite clearly dead!