“Joanna Newsom backed by Black Sabbath.” Apparently Sparrow & the Workshop have some rather smart-arsed friends, because that’s how one of them described some of their recent material, according to the press release I received.

I must confess I am not surprised really, because the last couple of times I’ve seen them (not nearly often enough for my liking I must confess) they have been absolutely fearsome.  Jill and Gregor always had a touch of attitude about them (Gregor is a ginger Glaswegian for fuck’s sake, they’re always angry), but I must confess Nick always seemed like a nice chap.  Not anymore it seems, unless that’s his evil twin playing guitar these days.

In the aftermath of a lot of folky stuff in the ‘charts’ (cough cough) a lot of my favourite bands seem to be getting loud these days.  The new Broken Records is far from being a folk record, Rob St. John is weilding an electric guitar these days, the new Withered Hand material sounds like an early eighties punk rock band and Meursault are going to be using a bass guitar and a drum kit on their new stuff.  Good.  I like music with balls.

Sparrow & the Workshop have plenty of balls, and always have (sorry Jill), and if they are going to rock the fuck out on their new album then I am really, really looking forward to it.

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Photo Credit: hmv getcloser