You are hereEP Review: Bo Weavil - Roots EP (Self Release)
EP Review: Bo Weavil - Roots EP (Self Release)
Recalling the music of the 1920s and 1930s, Manchester-based Bo Weavil take to authentic American roots music like ducks to water; it's as if it were in their blood. With an emphasis on Old Time and country blues styles, their influences are peppered with the occasional seasoning of Celtic heartbeat, cosmic vibe and reggae rhythm, creating a very distinctive contemporary slant on this timeless music.
Together for barely a year, with a couple of line-up adjustments during that time, Bo Weavil have settled into a quintet of musicians gathered from all over England with Mark Ross on guitar and lead vocals, Lee Webster on banjo, slide guitar and vocals, Dom Dudill on fiddle and vocals, Tommy Rushton on bass and Dave Layton on drums. Garnering a steadily growing reputation as fine purveyors of American roots music, Bo Weavil take traditional songs and tunes from another era, such as John Brown's Dream, Arkansas Traveller and Barlow Knife to provide a real tangible feel of rural folk music that is completely devoid of all the irritating crackles of pre-war vintage sides.
Leadbelly's Mother's Blues, is given some clear finger-style guitar picking, augmented by some high lonesome backing vocals courtesy of Charlotte Evans, whilst Cow Cow Davenport's Iceman is transferred from the pianist's trademark boogie-woogie arrangement to an almost jaunty foot-tapping slide guitar-led blues classic.
With a steadily growing list of gigs and festival appearances lined up for 2012, we might just be in for a treat both in terms of their live performances and hopefully a full length album.
Allan Wilkinson
Northern Sky
