From one album of folk-type music to another, but it’s very different. Whereas Iona present a highly polished and slick album (even though it’s recorded live), Bellowhead glory in their slightly shambolic approach. Of course – this is very much an act. The band know exactly what they’re doing, and despite the air of chaos, they’re a very tight outfit with years of experience. Listen to the details: the slight timing break at the end of ‘New York Girls’, the intricate arrangements of, well, everything – they know exactly what they’re doing. This isn’t a disappointment – the members of Bellowhead all put the legwork in before they came together, so there was little need for them to improve. They’ve found their niche, they’re comfortable inside it, and with the entire history of English folk to draw on, they’re not about to run out of music. The only real difference between ‘Hedonism’ and its predecessors is the sheer amount of rudeness on display. That’s folk music for you – ‘The Handmaiden and the Weaver’ and ‘Yarmouth Town’ in particular are downright filthy. I don’t mean that in a bad way.
Sat in the middle of the album is ‘Cold Blows The Wind’. In many ways, it doesn’t stand out, but its magic is worth analysing. Jon Boden’s vocals are a treat – not for any technical reasons, but because he tells the story so richly. Underneath them, the folkish backing music sits unobtrusive, building slowly to a cacophony of horns which provide the gaps between verses. It’s completely infectious, and it’s quintessential Bellowhead. Listen to it, love it, love them. Long may they continue.
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