Seth Lakeman - Tales From The Barrel House Album Review

Soon to embark on a string of Australian dates following a UK tour, Mercury Prize nominee Seth Lakeman is now on his sixth solo release, adding to his expansive catalogue that began in 1994. He'll return to these shores for the festival season, including appearances at the Cambridge and Derby Folk Festivals.

If you're looking for big choruses and radio hits then this review ends here for you, for this record is about as far from a commercial release as you can get. Lakeman's multi-instrumental skills can transport you to the craic of an Irish watering hole - the thudding 'More Than Money' or knees up that is 'The Watchmaker's Rhyme' - but he is arguably more enjoyable when the pace is dropped.

'Apple Of His Eye' is built on a simple riff but layered with fine string use that seduces in a stealthy manner. As individual tracks most of these songs are a pleasant listen - though 'The Sender' is quite tedious - but there are moments across the duration of the album that, due to the lack of anthem moment, it becomes a little stifling.

Alex Lai