Pendulum

Virginian banjo player, singer, and songwriter Morgan O’Kane has delivered a powerful punch of a second album. Many of the songs, all self¬written, are imbued with an activist’s anger over mountaintop removal, a form of extracting coal which is a matter of deep political debate in the Appalachian mountain region from where O’Kane hails (as the mountainjustice.org website shows). ‘It Won’t be Long’ is an eery, dark wail against the destruction of parts of Appalachia, a sparse mourning song that lopes forwards on top of a bitter political message and environmental warning. ‘Hello and Go’ is a racing, rollick of a tune that recalls nights spent in small bars with Appalachian locals whooping it up over racing banjo tunes and foot-stomping old-time sessions. O’Kane’s voice is brittle and sometimes brutal – perfect for his brand of musical activism – making the female vocals on ‘Go Diving’ work like a drop of honey on a throat sung sore.

This is an unusual set of songs seemingly spanning decades of Appalachian music. Some seem to have been finely honed for an audience and some seem to be tales sketched out and laid down with all the fury of a live set. It’s a refreshing mix.