I’ve never known quite what to make of folk-rock. When I was a kid I used to listen occasionally to the likes of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Strawbs. I was never a big fan of the genre but conversely often found myself humming the tunes.
My favourite then was Lindisfarne, which was Newcastle-based unlike the others which were most often out of London. I had ‘Lady Eleanor’ on repeat or whatever we did to keep listening to it back in the day. Playing a vinyl disc with a screwdriver I seem to recall.
And of course some of the prog rock bands had a strong folk favour, especially Genesis and Yes, as do some of the symphonic metal bands today while Iceland’s Of Monsters & Men are back on the scene again with their particular interpretation of the genre.
I went around the houses a bit there to underscore my belief that there are many variations on folk rock. I don’t know where Folk & Fae are from. Social media tells me Stockholm but I have a feeling they might originate from a wild coast (i.e. the Baltic Sea in the east, Sweden doesn’t have a west coast because Norway is in the way).
I say that because there is a coastal swagger about this oddly named single, ‘För folk och fä’, (‘For People and Animals’) with its trenchant fiddle, drilling bass line that unexpectedly morphs into something between a machine gun and a buzz saw near the end, catchy sing-a-long melodies and strong Celtic overtones. It’s as if a Viking longboat somehow missed the UK and ended up sailing up the River Liffey in Dublin on a booze cruise.
There’s a sort of fin de siècle feeling about it too. The pleasure laden days of summer (perfect for such a cruise) threatened by a stiff breeze blowing in from the north, darkening autumn skies and portents of stormy weather ahead.
A song for our times, you might say.
(Continues after the Spotify link).
Find them on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folk_fae_band/
