Camin d'Estèlas

Coriandre consist of five middle-aged men who all possess great dexterity on a variety of instruments – vocalist Yves Masson plays guitar, bouzouki, banjo, saz and ukulele, while his bandmates are not far behind him. The music they conjure up is an interesting blend, drawing on chanson and Occitan folk song while adding all kinds of flavours, from jazz to Scottish folk. While this could be a recipe for disaster, most of the performances here are very effective – strong songwriting and arrangements stop things from becoming a convoluted mess. And Coriandre play well as an ensemble; everyone serves the song, while Masson's suitably gruff voice and the band harmonies are strong.

Tracks ‘L'Estèla Lo Jorn’ and ‘De Bon Matin’ have a muscular approach with the band locking in and rocking hard – almost too hard. A little more subtlety from the rhythm section wouldn't go amiss – while others favour a gentler approach. In concert I imagine Coriandre are extremely entertaining.