Apikorsim/Heretics

From New York, The Klezmatics have been shaking up the klezmer and Yiddish music scene for 30 years now. So it seems surprising they haven’t had an album called Heretics before. Since their beginning, what's marked them out is an irreverence that comes from a deep knowledge of the repertoire and tradition. And the opening track, ‘Der Geler Fink’ (The Yellow Finch), kicks off at breakneck speed, with a swirling violin melody over an irregular rhythmic bass pattern. The clarinet joins in and finally Frank London's trumpet too, completing what is instantly recognisable as The Klezmatics’ sound. It's just as furious and fiery as ever, although it could never sound as radical as it once did.

There are just three instrumentals in 15 tracks, and although Lorin Sklamberg is one of the best Yiddish singers there is, I found myself getting tired of the vocals by the end – particularly as they become a bit overblown on ‘Party in Odessa’, ‘Shushan Purim’ and ‘Dear Little Yankl’. Usually The Klezmatics avoid the sentimentality that often afflicts some klezmer bands, but they let their guard down on the closing ‘Mazltov’ – so we won’t drink to that!