Tempest
Bob Dylan
Keywords
Reviews (3)
The guardian
d. 24. Sep. 2015
By
By
Robin Denselow
d. 24. Sep. 2015
"Great folk songs survive because they tell strong stories that are relevant to different generations, and Stick in the Wheel mix revivalism with folk-punk attack: this is an acoustic band with attitude. Lead singer Nicola Kearey is from London's East End and sings in a harsh, no-nonsense accent, and carefully chooses her material ... "The Blacksmith" has none of the exquisite sadness of the classic Shirley Collins version, but instead a furious anger at this story of betrayal ... The new "Me N Becky" [is] a story of London riots, looting, remorse and jail. At the end they break off for some drifting musical experimentation. A powerful and original debut".
Folk radio UK
d. 18. Sep. 2015
By
By
Thomas Blake
d. 18. Sep. 2015
"Perhaps it is due to Kearey's working class accent or perhaps it is the deceptive simplicity of the musicianship, but the traditional songs become more real, more pertinent, than in other versions. There are dozens of recordings of "The Blacksmith" out there but few can match the intimacy or the despair that Kearey and her bandmates bring to the song. The sheer helplessness conveyed by the vocal performance on "Hard Times" once again brings up the notion of social injustice and ensures the song sounds more relevant now than ever before. A more damning indictment of austerity-era politics would be hard to find ... There isn't a weak moment on "From Here". This is high-energy, politically switched-on folk music and it is one of the most vital recent additions to the English musical tradition".
fRoots
2015 October
By
By
Colin Irwin
2015 October
"It's not always pretty - in fact it's never pretty - but Nicola Kearey's confrontational vocal style certainly makes you look upon these mostly well-known traditional songs anew ... It's this vivid sense of reality which applies such a genuine vitality and urgency to familiar old songs (...) that makes this such a compelling album ... The feigned madness of the various vagrants, outsiders and mental patients incarcerated in the famous London asylum is all too believable on this frenetic take on "Bedlam"; and their very real rawness not only attaches a genuine sense of despair and helplessness to "Hard Times Of Old England", it makes the old Copper Family favourite firmly relevant today. - [Froots album of the year 2015]".