Swindon Music

Folk, Roots and World Music: Devolution @ The Rolleston, Swindon - June 09
Source: mmambfolk.blogspot.com
This page is part of Green Man Music and is dedicated to folk, folk rock, world, reggae, roots and all things in between.


Saturday, June 13, 2009
Devolution @ The Rolleston, Swindon - June 09

I was fortunate enough to share the bill the other night with the wonderful Devolution, a band that totally exceeded my already high expectations. I was only aware of them from songs I had heard on myspace, which in themselves hinted of a fresh and original live act, but in the flesh they were even better.

Their combination of traditional folk instruments and sumptuous harmonies might, in theory suggest that you were going to get just another take on English folk music. You might have been forgiven that any minute the bearded, Arran sweatered, folk purists, finger in one ear and a pint of Futtocks Old Cornwobbler in the other would burst in. All of this was neatly dispelled very quickly as the band launched into a heady mix of country beats, hippy imagery and darker East European undercurrents. The only thing that any of it reminded me of was Mike Scott's more raggle taggle moments with the Waterboys, but that would only convey a small part of Devolutions story. As a basis this was original enough but they set out a musical stall to include any global reference that took their fancy and the result seemed to come off like a whistle stop, terpsichorean package tour of the world.

Part of their charm lies in the fact that they are a fun and wonderfully frivolous live act, not taking themselves too seriously but musically they are bang on. I urge you to petition your local HMV to introduce a "country and eastern" section and fill it with their wonderful creations.
Posted by lazarus at 7:29 AM
Labels: by location - swindon, devolution, live review

This page is part of Green Man Music and is dedicated to folk, folk rock, world, reggae, roots and all things in between.
Source: mmambfolk.blogspot.com

Heart Working/Heart Stops - Devolution

If there were such a genre as country and eastern , then Devolution would be one of its leading lights, having one foot in an Americana country vibe and the other probably somewhere in a place like the Ukraine or Poland. Between these polemic generalisations a wonderful weave of folk, roots and world sounds are blended into a rich musical tapestry.

What is admirable about the bands choice of musical building blocks to create these songs, is their avoidance of the normal approach. Most songs are built only on mandolin riffs and a acoustic guitar, but the use of hand held drum and percussion, the occasional harmonica and a sumptuous swathe of vocals means that the sound is much fuller than it would appear on paper.


Songs like As Long as You Don't Draw Blood, for example, have a definite western drawl to them, at the other extreme Catch The Sun wouldn't sound out of place at the end of a drunken night in a Russian rural inn. Other songs are less easier to pin down and it is this dovetailing of disparate strands of folk stylings from across the globe that is their charm as the album becomes almost a world cruise of traditional folk inspiration. There are mellower moments to be had but for me it is on In Times of War that their true colours are nailed to the mast and they sounded a bit like a laid back Gogol Bordello, never a bad thing to aim for.


It's a great start for a band that are still finding their feet as a regular live act, one that bodes well for the future and I for one look forward to the other roots and folk avenues that they are yet to explore.

Posted by lazarus at 9:03 AM 0 comments
Labels: album review, devolution