01.Wake Up Sleepy Head
02.The Contract
03.Spiderwood Farm
04.Sailor's Wife's Lament
05.Leaning On A Bear
06.Tempest And The Tide
07.Mavericks And Mystics
08.Well Spoiled Machine
09.Sapphire Ward
10.Rocking Horse
11.Tragic Catastrophe
Rosalie Cunningham (Vocals/Guitar)
George Hudson (Guitar)
Samuel Shove (Organ/Mellotron/Wurlitzer)
Barnaby Maddick (Bass)
Jack Hobbs (Drums)
Rosalie Cunningham is an English singer-songwriter who started in the band Ipso Facto in 2007 who released a number of records till they split in 2009.
Cunningham has also been working with other bands such as Magazine as a backing vocalist, appearing on stage with them on tours and the BBC Electric Proms and on Later... with Jools Holland.
She also played keyboards from January to May 2010 with These New Puritans on their tours of the album, Hidden.
In 2011 she formed the self styled "Vaudeville Carny Psych" band Purson and began working on recordings and playing gigs, though she found time in 2012 to play guitar with Willy Moon, as the support act for Jack White's UK tour.
This album has presented me with a number of problems, im not usually short of things to say, but such is the complexity and damn right brilliance of this work that im not sure what else to say!
I have seen a few other reviews of this and often seen Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple mentioned, not sure why really maybe because their is an old keyboard sound or perhaps the folk element present in some of the songs?
Sure as hell isnt for any other reason, i mean here is an album released in 2013 that sounds like it was made 40 years ago, so its not so much a new album looking back but in some weird twist of time related weirdness an album from 1973 that is looking forward.
From the opening of 'Wake Up Sleepy Head' with its haunting vocals, sweet acoustic guitar and what sounds like a flute blended with organ and wurlitzer, which then leads into a Hawkwind-ish bass line for the next song 'The Contract', its all mellow and purely in that classic acid-folk genre as bands like Tudor Lodge, Comus, The Trees etc.
Heavy freak out guitarwork and keyboards greet 'Spiderwood Farm' this one rubs shoulders with Coven, Saturnailia and Savage Rose.
Then comes the whimsical 'Sailor's Wife's Lament' very reminiscent of Sandy Denny and the kind of thing All About Eve tried to achieve with their Martha's Harbour ep many years ago.
The next song is the most commercially accessible (hence the video release) called 'Leaning On A Bear' its like Shocking Blue jamming with Curved Air.
'Tempest And The Tide' rocks a folkish vibe with a degree of etheral strangeness Pentangle meets Atomic Rooster perhaps?
For 'Mavericks And Mystics' the vocal reminds me of an old King Crimson song, whilst the music could be early Tyrannosaurus Rex.The bit at the end is weird just throwing in a touch of Fifty Foot Hose.
I recognise a Doors keyboard riff running through 'Well Spoiled Machine' and some Jefferson Airplane in the songs overall concept.
'Sapphire Ward' has a funky rock feel, definately a touch of Jill Seward (Fusion Orchestra) fronting early Judas Priest.
More haunting sounds for 'Rocking Horse', great vocals and some amazing phased instrumentation.
Ending with 'Tragic Catastrophe' that occult-psych feel returns.
Perhaps more importantly the title sums up my attempts to review this with any real clarity!?
Rating 10/10
For Fans Of (Every band i have mentioned in the review) AND : The Devils Blood, Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/pursontheband
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