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This third longplaying turn from Appendix Out, the straggling folkies
hailing from somewhere in the misty Scottish hinterlands (like,
Glasgow or something), has two pretty obvious influences, one being
Ali Roberts' recent dalliances with passed-down folksongs, the other
Tom Crossley's experimentations with his wonky-pop collective
International Airport (featuring Roberts). The first comes across
largely in the lyrics (e.g. the galling "your hair is like a royal
tapestry," on "The Groves of Lebanon"); the second appears only
subtly, audible in slight shifts in tone, arrangement, and production
(the latter by Rian Murphy and Sean O'Hagan). Despite some awkward
moments — like when the band tries to "go Movietone," and fails
badly, on "Fortified Jackdaw Grove" — the set works well for the
most part, redolent rhythms stirred gently by Roberts' heart-achey
vocals.
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