Seed

This is the first album by the artists formerly known as the Afro Celt Sound System under their newly abbreviated moniker – the idea being, we’re told, that after seven years of performing live in a fairly consistent line-up, they’ve grown less dependent on programmed beats and samples and coalesced into a full-fledged band (as opposed to a sound system).

Well, guess what: the propaganda is true. Seed really does mark a new departure for the group. Even if a few tracks still exemplify the old ACSS habit of taking a nifty groove and jamming around it for seven minutes or so, this CD also has songs. With verses and choruses, yet. No longer just an interesting crossover concept, they’ve developed into a group of individuals who happen to hail from different continents but share a common vision.

Part of the magic is undoubtedly due to the special guests on board this time round. The great East Clare fiddler Martin Hayes shows up on several numbers – notably ‘Ayub’s Song’, which starts out as a sweet, folky little ballad in Irish from Iarla Ó Lionáird, then segues into a lovely jig with Hayes’ fiddle and James McNally’s whistle against a kora and guitar-led backing. Brazilian singer Nina Miranda lends her breathy vocals to ‘Nevermore’, former Sex Pistol Jah Wobble plays bass on ‘All Remains’, and Mundy takes the lead vocal on ‘Rise Above It’, a tour de force that manages to keep up the pace for a marathon 10 minutes and 13 seconds, with Hayes twiddling gently behind Irish-American fiddler Eileen Ivers’ more in-your-face style. None of which is to downgrade the contributions of the core members – particularly Simon Emerson’s slide guitar on the title track and Emer Mayock’s bracingly swift, clean uilleann piping on ‘Deep Channel’.

So – welcome, Afrocelts. We’ll be expecting great things of you from here on out.