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Drever, McCusker and Woomble - Before The Ruin

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  • 20-11-2008 7:45am
    #1
    Xavi6
    Registered Users Posts: 40,867 ✭✭✭✭


    What some of the critics have said -
    Before The Ruin is the result of three of Scotland's best current writers and performers getting together with limited time (seven afternoons and then demoed on a laptop). Regardless of whether folk is all the rage or not at the moment, Before The Ruin is perfect for those who admire the well-written song. When you consider the average age of the players here is early 30s, the sound is mature beyond its years. Taking traditional folk as a starting point, they add in splashes of CSNY, pastoral Zeppelin and Radiohead (whose drummer, Phil Selway guests) to make something that, in this world of transient pop daisies, is resolutely made of long-lasting oak.
    At a time when the term 'folk' is a promiscuous lover, shacking up with rock, pop, jazz, etc., it's surprisingly refreshing to hear a straight-forward, no-modifier-needed folk record. Before the Ruin finds Edinburgh folkies Kris Drever and John McCusker teaming with Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble for ten solid tracks, and the lads come through with a subdued but entirely listenable long player. Woomble's doleful crooning matches the acoustic strum quite well, but it's the contributions of McCusker's fiddle that seal the deal, its morose yet soaring whittle haunts over the songs where it's featured. The remarkable title track does find the trio playing with the formula - enough to add in a few touches of electric guitar - but not at the expense of the otherwise earthy elements, and Stuck in Time is a sweet send off. Featuring collaborations with Radiohead's Phil Selway and members of Teenage Fanclub, this is the work of three talented core musicians delivering a quality take on a time-honoured genre.


    So I finally got my hands on this and have to say I'm not disappointed. I'm a massive Roddy Woomble fan in large part due to Idlewild and I loved his solo album 'My Secret Is My Silence'.

    This offering is similar, yet different at the same time. The folk element is still there but the presence of McCusker's superb fiddle playing adds a different dimention to the tracks. I also like the dual vocals used in some of the tunes.

    The opener 'Silver and Gold' is a quite fantastic song, as is the title track.

    Definitely well worth a listen as a relaxing album.


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