Flook – Ancora
Flatfish – 12 April 2019
When the mighty Flook returned to performing live in 2013 after a 5-year break an inevitable question was whether they would also return to the recording studio. The hoped-for answer is about to arrive in the shape of their new album Ancora – the title appropriately meaning, amongst other things, ‘again’. ‘Again’ because there is no let-up whatsoever in the remarkable standard they set with their three previous studio albums (the last made in 2005). That is a cause for much rejoicing round these parts.
Formed nearly 25 years ago, Flook have had the same line-up since the departure in 1997 of founder member Mike McGoldrick after the release of a live first album recorded at Sidmouth Folk Festival. The band’s instantly recognisable sound combines the flute, alto flute and accordion of Sarah Allen, the guitar of Ed Boyd, the flutes and whistles of Brian Finnegan, and the bodhran of John Joe Kelly. Brian has reflected on the band’s hiatus: “We took a break in 2008, followed our hearts and instincts and went our separate ways; had kids, got hitched, loved, lost, explored the musical world post-Flook.” For Brian himself that has included a couple of solo albums and the brilliant but short-lived KAN (read the Folk Radio review of their album Sleeper here). Sarah has played with The Waterboys, Ed joined and stayed with Lúnasa (their latest album Cas was reviewed here) and John Joe has continued to play with lots of people, as varied as Zakir Hussain and the Sligo Baroque Orchestra. Flook is now only one of the many things they all do.
An attention-grabbing, startling staccato flute, with an echo fading away, starts the album off on a set of reels, Reel for Rubik/Toward the Sun. The tune is joined first by plucked guitar, then whistle, with flute and whistle then chasing each other around. By the time John Joe joins in on bodhran you are very unlikely to be able to keep still. The tunes were written by Brian and first appeared on his 2014 album Toward the Sun with guitar player William Coulter. A classic Flook track straight off the bat.
Companion Star is a lovely, gentle tune written by Sarah, with flutes, guitar and fittingly quiet, almost hum like support on accordion from Phil Cunningham. The track segues into The Coral Castle, co-written by Brian with American mandolin player Ashley Broder (who guested on the aforementioned Toward the Sun) and featuring both American hammer dulcimer player Simon Chrisman and steel drums from Bath-based Melvin Ifill (who guested on Brian’s 2010 solo album The Ravishing Genius of Bones). It picks up the pace a little and has a wondrous, meandering calmness and warm fluidity, with all the instruments overlaying each other. The Bunting Fund, a short tune from Sarah, has a distinctly northern Spanish feel, which is unsurprising given the contribution from Eva Tejador on pandereta (tambourine) asturiana (Eva’s band is called Les Pandereteres). This rich variety of sounds, with ‘made to measure’ guest contributions, is a cornerstone of what makes Ancora work so well.
The pace picks up properly with another signature set of reels Turquoise Girl/The Tree Climber/Twelve Weeks and a Day/Rounding Malin Head. It’s a longer, assorted, well-forged set, the first tune composed by Sarah. Simon Chrisman again brings his deft hammer dulcimer to bear and the second tune is his, the other two being composed respectively by Jarlath Henderson and Zoë Conway. Another sonic layer is added when Niall Murphy joins on fiddle part way through.
A quite different sound again can be heard on Lalabee, a tender tune written by Austrian hurdy-gurdy player Matthias Loibner, who lent his disarmingly subtle playing to the track. The playing is exquisite, almost dreamlike. The track segues, with hurdy-gurdy still on-board, into Jig for Simon. Written by Sarah and Brian it’s playful and atmospheric, and, although one of the simpler tunes on the album, still has lots of layers. Ellie Goes West is the most panoramic track, due in large part to contributions from Scottish ‘one woman string quartet’ Patsy Reid on cello, viola and violin which add elegant depth. Penned by Brian, it has a restrained whistle, guitar and bodhran parts, and in the middle section lovely interplay between guitar and cello, underpinned by subtle upright bass from recent Gretchen Peter’s band member Conor McGreanor.
The last couple of sets of tunes on the album hint at the influence of the time most of the band, minus Sarah, have spent since 2015 in the occasional, as yet unrecorded, Finnegan/McSherry Project (alongside uilleann piper John McSherry, Niall Murphy on fiddle, Donal O Connor on keyboards, and sometimes exchanging Seán Óg Graham for Ed on guitar). There are two McSherry tunes: The Pipers of Roguery (from Idir’s At First Light), in a set of jigs with Brian’s tune Sharig and The Huntsman composed by Sam Lakeman (also on Brian’s Towards The Sun), and; The Quickenbeam (a reel from McSherry’s The Seven Suns) joined with Ómós Sheamuis, a gorgeous tune from Zoë Conway written in memory of Seamus Heaney, which has an undulating, quite hypnotic cadence. Both sets are driven by the impeccable Ed and John Joe rhythm team and I can also imagine the sound of McSherry’s pipes fitting nicely in the mix. A wonderfully uplifting and upbeat conclusion.
Michelangelo was attributed as saying “Ancora Impara” on his 87th birthday, meaning ‘I am yet learning’ and Brian has said: “This resonated with us and was present throughout the process of recording Ancora.” Above anything else the band have shown that they have significantly enriched their ability to choose a long list of guests – in double figures, add Amadou Diagne on percussion, Philip Henry on lap steel, and Trevor Hutchinson on upright bass to those already mentioned – each demonstrating that they are ideally suited to their given numbers. The consequence is that this myriad of contributions serves only to enhance – with no diminution whatsoever – the core, bold Flook sonority. Ancora picks up where Flook left off with Haven 14 years ago, delighting us, again, with their unique, exciting sound and their ever-inventive arrangements. Expectations more than fully met – simply a brilliant album.
Flook kick off their album tour at Kings Place on 25th April. For their full list of extensive tour dates click here.
Pre-Order Ancora: via Flook | Amazon
Photo Credit: Naoki Fujioka