Sssht

‘All tunes written in Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and other nearby places during the 18th century,' the CD sleeve proudly proclaims. It's an admirably clear, if possibly daunting, introduction to the music of a Belgian group whose first album had the even more upfront title of Back to the 1780s. It would be a mistake to imagine, however, that we might be compelled to contend with some sort of dry, historically constrained reconstruction. On the contrary, the remarkable thing about Wör, as anybody who saw them at last year's English Folk Expo will know, is the dynamic way the quintet breath new life into these striking melodies, which may have languished in obscurity for many years but are invigorated here by a modern folk band with clear influences from Celtic, jazz and pop music. Baritone and soprano sax help lend swing and swagger to an instrumental line-up of fiddle, bagpipes, accordion and guitar. A refreshing and mature collection.