28. Alasdair Roberts - Spoils (2009)

Scottish musician Alasdair Roberts could first be heard in his band Appendix Out, a fine late 90's indie act, much loved by John Peel. Roberts first came out as a solo act with his debut in 2003, signed by Domino records, after impressing Bonnie 'Prince' Billy with a cassette handed over when his tour touched down in Glasgow.
An updating of British folk forms was overdue. During the 90's all the interest lay in American folk forms. Alt-Country, Gillian Welsh, Oh Brother where art thou, lavish reissues of Harry Smiths anthology all came at the end of the 90's. British innovations in folk lay very far underground, in the freak forms of Current 93 and Eyeless in Gaza. It was nice then that new voices began to emerge from the British Isles, taking the lead from their US counterparts and the subterranean hidden reverse. It may not have surprised us late 90's Peel listeners who heard (especially Scottish) indie groups like Appendix Out and Delgados gradually incorporating twisting folk melodies, narratives and instrumentation.
What Alasdair Roberts brought to the hoedown, was collaboration with others, namely Alex Neilson a superb drummer who could also play jazz and improv and developed a light, ever changing percussion which followed the song instead of simply provided a backbeat. This was the biggest innovation in folk rhythm since Dave Mattacks practically invented the folk rock drum style for Fairport Convention. Roberts can also spin tales in an Incredible String Band like journey both winding, direct and sometimes abstract.
The Album opens with Grief and Joy, a consonant heavy pilgrimage, wrangling words with an 'Eternally returning' theme like Incredible String Bands Cellular Song. Finding similarities in all human life however wretched 'for all the penitents in hell and all the celebrants in heaven'.
You Muses Assist has an upbeat flute and finger picking jig, with an unlikely chant of 'sterile rams & simulacrum' against a distorted guitar and Neilson sublime fluid drumming.
So Bored Was I is a post punk Trees or early Steeleye Span, ending with a great folk rock breakdown.

Unyoked Oxen Turn is surrealist in the tradition of nonsense British verse, and ends up jangling away like a Ukrainian era Wedding Present feast.
The Book of Doves has loose stringed bass sound and percussive finger picking, maybe inspired by African music with thumb piano.
Ned Ludd's Rant (For World Remembered) is a identification with 17th century English rebel who angrily snapped his weaving loom, thereby giving the luddites their name. The aforementioned rant includes the tasty 'you poters, you haters, you whores and fornicators'.
Hazel Forks is like a merry band of fools, getting lost in the country. It reminds me of Ben Wheatley great movie 'A Field in England' with it's civil war yokel psychedelia; 'dowry of the leper, a walnut shell and a peck of pepper'.
The album ends with Under No Enchantment (But My Own) suitably titled as Roberts follows his dreams.
Alasdair Roberts would continue to release many great records, but none as yet have come close to this very special collection.