FLOWER AND IRON

"Some good bands emerge in a blaze of publicity, while others keep plugging away for years before receiving the recognition they deserve. Malinky fall firmly into that second category. They have been playing (with different lineups) for a decade, and this is their fourth album. But though they have toured the US, and established a sizeable following back home in Scotland, they are not exactly folk celebrities south of the border. This subtle and varied set ought to change all that. The five band members include three lead singers, and the material (in English rather than Gaelic) ranges from a light and slinky reworking of the traditional Pad the Road Wi Me to more recent songs such as When Margaret Was Eleven, a thoughtful story of childhood and the damage of war, or Archie Fisher's postwar Clydeside lament, The Shipyard Apprentice, with impressive vocals from Fiona Hunter. Their playing is as impressive as their singing, matching fiddle, whistle, cello, bouzouki and guitar on light but rousing instrumental tracks. After all these years, Malinky should be one of the folk bands of 2009." (Robin Denselow, www.guardian.co.uk)