Groanbox “Guts, Lungs & Bones”

Groanbox Records, 2011

Real world music with songs you can groove to

• Unique is a word that is frequently used inappropriately, but in the case of Groanbox, once the Groanbox Boys, no other description will do. The trio’s music may have its roots in rural Americana but by the time it comes out of the speakers it’s been around the world a couple of times, pausing in likely and unlikely places, picking up a rhythm here and an inflexion there and melding everything into true world music. This time out they visit Berber tribesmen, Louisiana and Turkey to name but three and the results easily are up to their usual remarkably high standards. The end result is like some form of voodoo, which picks you up whether you like it or not (you do of course).

• Live, Groanbox can be irresistibly frenetic, percussionist Paul Clifford hammering away on all manner of unlikely noise-making objects while Cory Seznec and Michael Ward-Bergemann’s accordion, banjo and various strings weave in and out, driving the melody forward and the audience to their feet. In the studio that energy is still there but things are more considered so you can take more notice of the songs. Said songs are by and large of the darker variety, which is just the way it should be, and if you feel the urge to howl at the moon with delight on listening to this album, why that’s just the way it should be too.