PROGRESSIVE FOLK
Paul Sexton scours the new releases to find there’s nowt so prog as folk.
The combination of English folkloric traditions and modern-day originality makes Green Diesel the perfect pick for Fairport and Steeleye buffs. The five-piece from Faversham, Kent have been lauded for four previous albums from 2012, and now they offer the splendid Onward The Sun (Talking Elephant).
It opens with the confident, infectious folk-rock and gothic mystery of Venus Tree, but Green Diesel’s cultured versatility also embraces the violin-led, wordless and amiable Princess Royal – Dribbles Of Brandy, while Ellen Care’s violin and Matt Dear’s rock guitar take twin leads on Hymn For The Turning Year. There’s a compelling new take on Maypole, from Paul Giovanni’s soundtrack of the timelessly haunting The Wicker Man, and a closing, traditional murder ballad, Wild Wild Berry.