James Yorkston & The Athletes
Just Beyond The River
Domino WIGCD142
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Perhaps best known for 2002’s lovely ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ single, the Edinburgh based folkie and Beta Band associate has had a busy year, first with his involvement in the excellent ‘Fence Reunited’ project and now an album proper ‘Just Beyond The River’ on the Domino label. As you would expect Scottish and Irish folk music form the major influences on Yorkston’s sound. The highlight of the album is undoubtably the beautiful ‘Hermitage’ were plucked mandolin and swelling accordion accompany hushed accoustic guitar. ‘Shipwreckers’ and ‘Hotel’ too, have quality stamped all over them, but if the album has a fault it is that, at 50 minutes long, it doesn’t have enough variety of song writing to truly capture the listeners interest. The majority of the tracks follow the same, often stripped down and rhythmless, formula. Fans of Celtic music or the ‘new folk’ genre will find much to love here, but for the less committed it is an album that - just - falls short of being essential.
Darrin Frew
Konstantinmark - 6.54