Open on Sundays
Hebemusic: HEBECD006 Duck Soup are Dan Quinn, Ian Kearey and Adam Bushell. The content is predominantly instrumental although Dan does sing on four of the eleven tracks. The content comes from a variety of sources but much is from American and Canadian pre-war 78s. Combined with the use of instruments such as marimba, phonofiddle and musical saw this results in a presentation very different to the English Country Music style more usually associated with Dan's playing.
There are some lovely tracks here, the bouncy Marche du Mont Saint-Louis is an absolute joy to listen to. The first song, The False Lover Won Back opens with a rather creepy solo on bass but I am afraid that the song is not really suited to Dan's voice and it does start to plod a little, perhaps my only real criticism of this CD. Things are promptly relieved by the next track, Mr Turner's Academy Cotillion which has a lively combination of melodeon and phonofiddle. The other songs work well, Dan seems more comfortable when accompanying himself on melodeon. The Bonny Bunch of Roses has a bouncy arrangement which at first leads you to expect one of the comic songs for which Dan is well known. Young Morgan on the other hand has a quite stately intro which leads nicely into a powerful ballad. Of course it is a bit much to expect Dan to get through 53 minutes without a comic song, hence Little Brown Jug which is coupled with a lively instrumental medley. The CD finishes with Valse Popmadour arranged for melodeon, phonofiddle and mandolin with a swing that will have you swaying in your seat or waltzing around the room.
Review published in Folk London - October 2010
