Do you remember The Beta Band? the ones who recorded the 3 EP's? Did you know that they used to be called The Pigeons and that one of them left the band,( who were then based in London ) to return to Scotland, only to reappear years later as the Lone Pigeon. More about the mysterious Lone Pigeon at a later date! but I will mention one more thing, the name of his record label; Fence Records.
Fence is based in Fife, Scotland and is responsible for releasing the
offerings of the Fence Collective to the wider not always ready and waiting world. They are a strange if not beautiful assortment of like minded individuals who get together and play on each others records. There are too many to mention here, but all can be found on the various samplers from Fence that are still available iif you look hard enough.
Anyways, down to business, which for Fence right now is their singles club which they have called 'Picket Fence'. The first offering from this series is by King Creosote and is titled 'Now (nearly ) 36'.
KC, as he might be known, is a singer/songwriter and favoured collaborator of the Lone Pigeon. He comes in many guises and has no fewer than four other Fence acts collaborating with him over the 30 minutes that span this release. So, we might expect a little variation then? Yes almost certainly, expect the unexpected.....
The first track, 'The Donaldsons' opens with looped organ swirl noise giving way to a picked acoustic guitar and King Creosote's melancholic Scots folk baritone. It has a haunting sound and I can well imagine being out there by the loch in the midst of a swirling mist. Next comes the electro beat and jazz bass of 'Talking Again', some more organ noises and a chanted 'Steve Mason' like vocal; a chill out track that reminds me a little of 'Inner meet me' by the Beta's.
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From then on we go through the jocular hillbilly folk of 'Over the Top' to the casino beat of 'Musakal lives'; introducing Creosote's accordian. The interest is maintained throughout, the production has a live feel to it and although the songs can sound rough in places there's no denying the warmth and charm that exists throughout.
There are two traditional arrangements here too; 'Steal Away' and the rustic'Matty Groves'; a trad Scot's folk tale of yore - and once covered by Fairport Convention - that slips halfway through into sounding like it was done on an old cassette recorder and most
probably was! A lo-fi interpretation of an ancient classic! Though we never do find out what happened to Matty Groves.
There's something refreshingly honest about the songs and the whole approach making it more intriguing to anyone listening, there's no formula here. It's what The Beta Band hinted at in the 3 EP's and what the Lone Pigeon might have brought back to Scotland with him. The mystery continues.......
(only available via mail order from the fence website; wwwfencerecords.com.)
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