Young God Records
Fire On Fire : The Orchard (US,2008)***°
Bye bye all the weird adventure of Cerberus Shoal ; with a slightly smaller group this is a change to different roots with a family gospel starting point, with controlled stretched limits of being now an Americana folk waltz band, playing song orientated music with just a little bit of improvisation to the song fundaments, sharing their songs in a home fire environment. Isn’t this the original sort of setting where old folk songs sprung, right ? So the musical creativity turned to the basic form of accompanying songs, and the vocal arrangements are more raw and more Americana than before. It didn’t need much effort to appreciate this new, accessible vision, even when I don’t grasp the songs yet, and that’s what it’s all about, right ? Songs and sharing, togetherness! A rather long album with its over 60 minutes of songs. There are not too many surprises. “Flight Song” is arranged with oud and double bass might sound a bit different. Just the last track has more the feeling of earlier improvisations, with its attractive horse-like rhythms of percussion and bass, and Colleen’s vocals in the lead.
Fire on Fire is Colleen Kinsella on vocals, harmonium, guitar,accordion, banjo ; Caleb Mulkerin on vocals, guitar, banjo, dobro ; Tom Kovacevic on vocals, oud, nay, tamboritza, jembe, tamborine ; Micah Blue Smaldone on vocals, upright bass, banjo and Chriss Sutherland on vocals, guitar, doumbek.
