Avocet – Cheating Monday / Sirens
Mink Records – 19 December 2018
Avocet, a band I declared undying love for back in May when they released their debut EP Borrowed Seed, have just released a single in time for Christmas. The double-A-side are new tracks, Sirens and Cheating Monday. All the components of their earlier release are here: the double-bass of Herbie Loening, the harp of Iona Zajac, and the finger-style guitar of Sam Grassie. And there is that voice. Yet there is even more on these two numbers. More in the way of instrumentation – percussion from Graham Costello, the saxophone of Duncan Mark Horne and Daniel Ashton on piano.
And more in the way of extending their musical field. The echoes and influences of Bert Jansch, his style and his variety are obvious in Avocet BUT they are not a tribute band. Their music has taken from that master but they are finding their own way, their own path. You can hear them stretching a bit further on this single, particularly with Cheating Monday, a clear venture into more jazz-inspired tones. Like Jansch himself, boundaries do not exist, they are false limitations imposed by others. Music moves where it needs to move to.
This double-A-side adds a lot to Avocet’s catalogue and is a testament to not only their playing but also to the assistance from the Bert Jansch Foundation. Exploring the lack of boundaries between blues, folk and jazz, is of a noble heritage. Avocet are pushing this heritage forward in exciting and imaginative ways that deserve more than just a passing hearing. Stop and listen.
Avocet will be touring in April, Confirmed dates are in London, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool.
https://www.facebook.com/Avocetunes/