AFTER the nice-boy nuances of Mumford & Sons and Noah And The Whale, here come East Londoners Dry The River to put the pneumatic into nu-folk.
“Hey,” they shout on track two, New Cermony, to herald the change to a more epic scale, led by very serious Nordic singer Peter Liddle.
The Stratford East five cite Cohen, Guthrie, Springsteen and Young as inspirations, along with At The Drive-In, Devendra Banhart and US hardcore acts. Banhart maybe, but you’ll more likely hear the gospel purity of Fleet Foxes, the fearless intensity of Arcade Fire, the high vocals of The Delays and even Keane. Where’s the originality, you ask?
Listen out for the brass finale on the stand-out History Books; savour William Harvey’s sublime violin; the Biblical references; the sheer rapture of The Chambers & The Valves, Weights & Measures and Family. You will all love this album by the year’s end, but why wait a moment longer to discover the best English debut of 2012?
• Dry The River play Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, on April 27.
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