Moulettes – The Bear’s Revenge

It could be argued that one of the greatest things about music is its ability to transport you to a place and time in history; Brit pop with the 90s and Disco with the 70s to name but a couple. We associate so much with a simple song. Therefore, it is always thoroughly refreshing and equally enchanting to listen to an album that creates a feeling of a nomadic existence, which is exactly what the Moulettes have done.

In just short of an hour you find yourself becoming a fairground traveller scaling the ghettos and slums of Paris; at Irish country pubs tapping your feet and clapping your hands to songs that sound like they have been passed down through generations. And whilst feeling enraptured by this dated charm, you can hear vivid elements of modern day rock and pop.

Whilst the album is decidedly folk in genre, one cannot ignore the various influences that are heard in the songs. The harmonies in opening track Sing Unto Me are performed in the same manner as those found on Queen track Killer Queen. The following track Country Joy has a distinct Lily Allen-esque quality. Even though they are easy to pick out it doesn’t feel like a conscious decision by the Moulettes to have included them, instead it very much feels like a happy accident.

The rich tapestry of sound found on this album is owed to the unashamed used of instruments, ranging from Celtic drums, violins, finger snaps and harmonies. Which leads to Songbird and Someone Who You Love becoming the most noteworthy tracks. The latter offers a relief from the earlier frenzied tracks. Its melancholic tick-tock whimsy and solemn violins create a strangely joyful and macabre ambiance. Whilst Songbird is the track that will stay with you long after you have listened to the final track. It is the song that sounds authentically drenched in Celtic history.

If you are tentatively dipping your toes in the folk genre then The Bear’s Revenge may be a bit overwhelming on first listen. However, for folk fans then this album’s harlequinesque qualities make it a great album to purchase as it tickles every taste-bud of your musical palette.

www.moulettes.co.uk