Black Thrustle
Telling The Bees (UK,2008)***°
Telling The Bees first album for a small part sounds like a singer-songwriter led project, with indie or catchy indiepop melodies for these words, but taken into a different context, of folk(rock) mandolin with chamber-arrangements, bringing a (chamber)folk-rock flavour into such songs. Other songs are more English folk flavoured, and even point to new traditional song contexts. Twice, on “Fithfath” and “Lyra”, some English pipes tunes make a strong instrumental lead, which is completed by chamber-arrangements and flute, showing an original vision of folk. There is no percussion on the album, excepts for some subtle handclaps on “Fithfath”, proving how an album can have a convincing sound also without them, besides the instruments range from double bass to mandolin, that gives a full range of an attractive sound spectrum. On the last, more sad track we hear some plucked chamber instruments providing somewhat classical flavours.
Telling the Bees is a collaboration between songwriter, Andy Letcher (mandolin, mandolute, pipes, vocals), Josie Webber (cello, vocals), Jane Griffiths (fiddle, vocals) and Colin Fletcher (bass).
Frontman Andy Letcher is also writer of non-fiction (alternative culture), and published his first book on the cultural history of the Magic Mushroom in the US. He had played before with Jabberwocky, Space Goats, Celtarabia, Paescod and The Steve Tyler band. Josie also plays bass with funk-rockers, The Conscripts, and has played cello with Tiger Moon, Soma, Lisa Lindley-Jones and singer Zoe Bicat. Fiddle player Jane plays also with Matt Sage and the Orchestra of Love, Australian songwriter Lisa Fitzgibbon and is one half of the folk duo Fletcher & Griffiths, together with Colin. Also Colin works with Matt Sage, besides participating with Simon Davies, Lisa Fitzgibbon and The Tim Van Eyken band.
