Ardentjohn - On The Wire

Label: Fandango Release date: 25/01/10 Ardentjohn Official MySpace What with a world of heavily subcategorized genres, postgenres, and neologisms to describe the sound of music in three words or less, it’s nice to see somebody just taking two easy genres and combining them simply to make another. In the case of Scottish sextet Ardentjohn, the combo is FOLK + ROCK = FOLK ROCK. And while I honestly dislike genres, they can be a bit handy sometimes. With a simple combination and clean sound to boot, Ardentjohn’s debut album On The Wire does a fine job of making some good folk. At times the group seems to channel the spirit of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, what with delicate vocals and pretty acoustic guitars, but the similarities never seem too glaring or obvious. Rather, the influences discerned help decipher the bridge they use between folk and rock. And while the songs are all very well produced and pretty, they failed to really stick in my head even immediately after listening to them a few times. I’m sure these minor complaints and flaws will be taken care of thanks to time by their third album, and really I can forgive forgetfulness purely because I enjoyed listening to them as each song played out. Gentle swashes of violin combine nicely with everything else in each appearance. I’ll await the next album from Ardentjohn and accept it with open arms. And I’m sure it’ll be another beautiful affair. Rating: 6/10