Bellowhead - Hedonism
- Written by Tom Bolton
Bellowhead’s trajectory has been upward since their debut album, Burlesque, made their name and prefigured the commercial success of acts such as Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling, all filed loosely under ‘folk’. However, the strength of the 11-piece Bellowhead has always been their admirably relaxed attitude to style labels, particularly the F-word which tied previous generations up in knots. They are unconstrained by any expectations about their repertoire, and their main imperative seems to be to play music they enjoy. And it shows. Their big band sound uses three fiddles, a bouzouki, cello, trumpet, trombone, sax, helicon (a sort of medieval tuba), drums, possibly a banjo, and the eponymous bellows, in the hands of co-founder John Spiers.
Bellowhead describe themselves as “a party band”. The downside to their energetic, multi-layered playing is that they sound much better live than on record. Their live performances are wildly popular, and this is where their full range and depth shines, complemented by the spectacle of Jon Boden, frontman and the other band founder, singing and fiddling in a very un-folk silver lamé suit. It’s not an easy formula to recreate in the studio and previous albums have felt a little muddy, somewhat less than the sum of their parts.
The band seems to have recognised the need to up their game in the studio. They hired Stone Roses producer, John Leckie, and Studio 2 at Abbey Road (which, as Boden points out, is not cheap). The difference is audible, with the tracks on Hedonism generally benefiting from more measured use of their instrumental arsenal, allowing individual players room to breathe.
Another potential criticism of Bellowhead is that while they’re the best people for a party, who wants to do nothing but party? Well, alright, maybe lots of people. But their previous albums have lacked variety, light and shade. Many of the best folk songs are the darkest, not a repertoire that often needs a brass section. So it’s a tribute to the quality of the playing on Hedonism that Bellowhead pulls off some classics of the dark side. The prime example is Jacques Brel’s most famous song, ‘Amsterdam’, a song of bitterness and regret like no other. Bellowhead’s deep rumbling helicon, sounding like a fog horn, suits the song perfectly, and the pizzicato fiddle is both melancholy and gently comical. It’s also a major test of Jon Boden’s voice, and he passes with flying colours, declaiming “Bring me more fish! Set it down by my side!” with desperate conviction.
Apart from ‘Amsterdam’, Hedonism is based largely on the traditional English repertoire of songs and tunes, but Bellowhead mix and match confidently, restyling to make the music the band’s own. This is notable on ‘Broomfield Hill’, a ballad about lost virginity, part of a thread of songs on Hedonism that take a unconventional attitude towards sex. Boden’s harmonising on the chorus, “There’s thirteen months all in one year, as I’ve heard people say…”, is excellent and the Bellowhead version is up there with the best.
The album begins with the shanty ‘New York Girls’, which unwinds like a coiled spring, and goes like the clappers. This is fine party band territory: unpretentious, flawless playing and an irrepressible determination to have a good time. The next track, the standard ‘A Begging I Will Go’ is also on full power, reminiscent of 70’s folk band Scafell Pike, who didn’t worry too much about the nuances as long as they were playing fast and loud. ‘The Hand Weaver and the Factory Maid’ is played with a similar reliance on volume, and ‘Captain Wedderburn’ veers in the same direction. Not every song needs or repays this approach.
Fortunately, there’s variation here too. The tunes on the album are probably the best tracks, showing that Bellowhead really can play their instruments. ‘Cross-Eye and Chinless’ has a harrumphing helicon, and an irresistible Percy Grainger country dance tune. ‘Parson’s Farewell’ also stands out, a hornpipe with a riotous fiddle and trumpet melody which feels distinctly like the theme music to a late-60s BBC period drama. Then it’s followed, in disconcerting contrast, by a ska version of ‘Little Sally Racket’, during which Boden rhymes “banana” and “pian-er” and does his best Suggs impression. Just because a song works at a gig doesn’t mean it belongs on record, and this one feels pretty silly.
It feels unfair to be unduly critical of Hedonism, an album that bursts with pleasure and entertainment. Bellowhead give great folk. You won’t listen to this record to glimpse future of the genre, or to hear sounds you’ve never heard before, but you will have a lot of fun.