(2022) The Drystones - Vulpus  


Review:
It’s not easy to maintain the spirit of traditional music while also capturing the sheer exuberance of modern dance music. But The Drystones, who have youth on their side, have managed to do so on this all-instrumental collection that skillfully merges folk grooves with contemporary dance music. Vulpus is derived from the Latin word for fox, vulpes, and it’s a metaphor that encapsulates the album: foxes being wild animals that have adopted and adapted to an urban setting. The first track, ‘Tunnel Vision’, sets out the stall, opening with picked acoustic guitar, before a driving backbeat and fiddle kicks in. It’s irresistible stuff, complete with breaks, evolving rhythm and subtle electronica that captivates from start to finish. By the time Ford’s whistle bursts out at the halfway mark, you can imagine even the most reluctant dancer to be up and moving in a live setting. It’s hard to stay still, even at home alone on the headphones. The following track, The Singularity, takes the opposite approach, starting with dreamy electronica before the trad instruments join; it’s a definite highlight of a very accomplished album. The witty-titled How Soon is Normal? reflects the genesis of the recordings, the forced separation of the two players during the pandemic, where musical communication had to be through technology. But The Drystones turn this into a strength with a slick and contemporary production that never misses a beat. Their 2022 UK tour is a mission to bring contemporary folk music to all ages, and I can’t imagine a duo more likely to succeed. Their instrumental interplay is extraordinary, perfectly in tune with each other and the music. Anyone who questions folk music’s contemporary relevance should listen to the stunning Wolf Who Ate the Moon or the funked-up Phantom Light before judging the genre as old-fashioned or out of touch. The album closes with a more traditional-sounding track; Yonder Hill harks back to their excellent 2019 album, Apparitions. While they still sound fabulous in this setting, I hope that The Drystones delve even deeper into the folk/dance fusion, a hint of which can be heard in the closing seconds of Skulk. This is a rare beast, a chimaera that successfully fuses 21st-century electronica with contemporary British folk music where both are allowed to roar. If The Drystones are the future of folk/dance music, it is in very safe hands. Get up on your feet and dance the night away.


         


Track List:
01 - Tunnel Vision
02 - The Singularity
03 - How Soon Is Normal
04 - Skulk
05 - Give 'em a Hand
06 - Phantom Light
07 - Compass
08 - The Fox
09 - Steam
10 - Wolf Who Ate the Moon
11 - Yonder Hill


Media Report:
Genre:  celtic, electronic, folk
Country: UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits


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