Album Reviews

Eliza Carthy – Neptune (Hem Hem B004UMLYOA) £11.99: While part of one of folk’s most revered musical families, it’s clear from the off that Eliza Carthy has no intention of sticking with tradition. On her opening line she purrs: “I was drinking champagne with Jerry Springer” setting an unconventional tone that runs throughout the album. But this is no thoughtless rebellion. Carthy attempts to marry the old and the new, she swings from dark cabaret to carnival atmospherics and brooding folk balladry. At times hitting whimsical dead ends but also touching moments of brilliance, Neptune is Carthy’s most ambitious release to date. NH
By The Newsroom
Published 6th May 2011, 12:12 BST

Twin Atlantic – Free (Red Bull B004T4F7V0) £10.99: Glaswegian rockers Twin Atlantic have built up a sizeable following in Scotland since releasing their mini-album Vivarium in 2009. Supporting the likes of Biffy Clyro and The Gaslight Anthem on their UK tours gave the band the required maximum exposure. Free is the four-piece band’s first full-length album and has garnered them plenty of plaudits, with lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Sam McTrusty providing the mainstay of their sound. Opener Edit Me was a fine choice for the first single with Yes, I Was Drunk equally memorable. KM

Johann Strauss -– Die Gottin der Vernunft (Naxos 8.660280-81) £8.99: Disintegrating in the Austrian National Library’s vaults were handwritten parts for Johann Strauss’s operetta Die Gotten der Vernunft (The Goddess of Reason), unseen for over 100 years. A naughty comedy full of typical and unforgettable Strauss melodies and riotous finales, it is the usual comedy of mistaken identities. The superb cast is headed by the vivacious Veronika Groiss, the excellent Slovak orchestra conducted by the much-lamented, Christian Pollack, who had discovered and renovated the score. DD

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Gloria, Choral music by Vierne, Kodaly and Bruckner (York Ambisonic CD 214) £12.99: Electrifying performances of Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle, the organ thundering forth to match the sheer power of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir. Even that is surpassed by Kodaly’s expression of faith in the Missa Brevis, a work composed in the midst of the Second World War, solo passages sung here with remarkable beauty. By comparison Bruckner’s Three Motets sound rather restrained, but simple and warming. From many similar discs we receive for review, this one is very special. DD