DVDfever.co.uk - Mama: Crow Coyote Buffalo CD reviewDVDfever.co.uk - Charts, News and Reviews of Blu-rays, DVDs, Games, CDs, Hardware, Laserdiscs, Cinema Films & more
Cornwall based duo Zoe Pollock (we’ll come back to her later) and Sarah McQuaid met by coincidence at a school gate. They’re both mums.
Since then, American born Sarah has relocated from Ireland to the West Country to be near her musical soul mate Zoe.
Sarah writes the evocative lyrics to Zoe’s compositions.
Because both are well travelled, the net result is a mix of eastern flavours, English psychedelia, and canyon echoes with Mariachi influences.
By definition, this is a fascinating and beguiling melting pot of cool acoustic lead belters that will satisfy purists and casual listeners.
For me this type of album is probably best enjoyed around a camp fire or quiet night with a bottle of red, or just generally chilling out.
The ambience is definitely retro 60s (hippy even) with simple instrumentation like ukulele , classical guitar, steel string guitar, percussion, accordion, trumpet, harmonium and flute spread throughout the collection, aided by Andy Jarvis and Tiffany Bryant.
Zoe and Sarah have very different vocal styles, by curiously they blend together beautiful – check opening song The Fool Of Spring, which has shades of the East fused with hippy folk, whereas the title track has traces of 70s Sandy Denny, referencing the sparseness of the American desert. Simple strums and heavenly harmonies make it a haunting vista.
Moving to the sub-continent, Kathakali Boy takes its inspiration from the classical dance drama tradition of Kerala in India. Something is missing here, and maybe the use of sitar would have given it a better indigenous reference point.
On Aqui Me Pinte Yo, they pay tribute to Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) who was stricken with polio aged 6. The uplifting song tells the story of her miraculous recovery from an accident that should have killed her. The chorus, “I am tired, but I am happy,” gives hope to all accident victims. She began painting in her bed at her beloved Blue House.
There are many excellent songs here. If I had to choose a favourite, the stripped back The Lovers gets my vote, featuring some sublime duet harmonies and melodies, and even simpler At The Waterside comes a very close second.
Peckham born Zoe was once a pop babe who wore skin-tight mini skirts (well on Top Of The Pops she did). Remember her anthemic club anthem Sunshine On A Rainy Day from 1991 reaching number 5 in the UK charts?
Well, as a bonus track we get a ‘mother earth’ / Eastern revamp, which blows the pants off the original!
Radio: Hear tracks soon on THE PLUG at
wrexham.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. The Fool Of Spring
2. Crow Coyote Buffalo
3. Kathakali Boy
4. Liquid Sunshine
5. Western
6. Aqui Me Pinte Yo (For Frida Kahlo)
7. Dancing Girl
8. The Lovers (For Pamela Colman Smith)
9. Pipe And Tabor
10. At The Waterside
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.