There are times when bands appear to decide to not record any more and instead concentrate on playing live gigs in front of adoring fans, and I am sure that many thought we had seen the last of new material from Oysterband given their most recent studio album was back in 2014, but here in 2022 we have a new album which was certainly worth the wait. The band had been through a lot through the years, as has any act who have been going for more than four decades, but John Jones (vocals, melodeon), Alan Prosser (guitar, vocals) and Ian Telfer (fiddle) have been there since the very beginning of Oyster Ceilidh Band and Fiddler’s Dram, while the line-up is completed by Al Scott (bass guitar), Adrian Oxaal (guitar) and Sean Randle (drums). This is their 12th studio album, or 14th if you count their collaborations with June Tabor, and for any fans of great modern folk-rock music then this is essential.
Here we have a band steeped in politics who blended some rock in with their folk at the same time that rock bands were moving into folk, creating a movement which saw them at the forefront with the likes of The Levellers, creating modern protest music with a real message. Their music has always been incredibly enjoyable and easy to listen to, without ever falling into the trap of being easy listening, and the more one plays their songs the more there is to hear. The arrangements are always key, with the violin often having an important part to play, with the percussion providing the backdrop (Sean Randle joined in time to play on the album, with just one of the tracks featuring previous incumbent Pete Flood, formerly of Bellowhead). This is accessible music, with occasional electric guitar to provide some contrast and a few keyboards here and there, with the bass providing warmth and structure but it is based heavily on acoustic guitars with the vocals clear and the lyrics sending an easily understood message.
The final track on the album is the one with the most driving rock force, “The Time Is Now”, and when I sent the review back to the PR company I begged not to be forgotten when the album was coming out as I knew that if this song was anything to go by it was going to be simply sensational. Now I have the album my only regret is that the band are on tour on the other side of the world, and I am not there to see it, as this really is a wonderful release, and any band brave enough to have a track like this as the closer and not opener have real class and understanding. Essential.
Rating: 9/10
