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Peatbog Faeries - Croftwork
Own label CDBOG002

Another rich and varied instrumental maelstrom from these highland head-bangers: Croftwork is slicker, funkier, harder hitting, and slightly less chaotic than the Peatbogs' previous three albums (we don't generally refer to them as the Faeries nowadays). The material on this CD is pretty much original, and pretty much by Peter Morrison.

Starting from the full-on Celtic metal of ‘Scots on the Rocks’, the mix continues with breathy New Age whistle on ‘Weakening’, and eerie, darkly hypnotic pipes & fiddle on the title track the excellent punchy funky Latin feel to ‘The Anthropologist’ is a clear highlight, and contrasts starkly with the slow whistle/fiddle air ‘When the Seahound Left Me’ - presumably named for a lost love. ‘Decisions Decisions’, a gentle nocturne for acoustic guitar and weirdness, is coupled to a driving fiddle reel with more weirdness. ‘Veganites’ is another punchy, funky, dancey number, and ‘Trans-Island Express’ returns to dark and spooky mode with added Shooglenifty-style vocals. The ‘Great Ceilidh Swindle’ takes traditional Scottish dance music and twists it beyond all recognition, ‘Drone Age’ is just strange, and finally, ‘All About Windmills’ presents an engaging series of jig-time variations with solo breaks and lush ensemble sections.

The whole Croftwork thing is an enjoyable diversion from musical convention, full of surprises but still loosely tied to its pipe and fiddle heritage.

Alex Monaghan