Xuntas

Self-defined as ‘Galician folk Druids,’ the five gifted musicians that make up Sangre de Muerdago show anti-interest in being fashionable or commercial. Indeed, they treat such stifling aspirations with the same disregard they probably hold for Galicia belonging to Spain; the band lives in Leipzig, as it happens. With their chants and undulating melodies constructed Lego-like from Celtic harp, Swedish nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, flute, bells, and the ‘square drum of Peñaparda,’ they seek to transport us to an idealised proto-Europe of faithful dogs, dear friends (Xuntas means ‘Together’) and cute babies; on the downside there are witches, corrupt leaders, maltreated immigrants and lots of bad weather to mess things up.

Some of the ideas behind the songs are political, others are faintly humorous and ironic (a lullaby for insomniacs is a perfect COVID-19 soundtrack) but the music is too meandering and mellow. Track ten, ‘Heavy Mental’ (the band claim punk origins), starts with crashing waves and struggles to get beyond a bit of unruly rasping. I hate to use that Enya-ish word ‘ethereal,’ but that's what deracinated, diluted faux roots music often turns out to be.