Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Whilst others may question our motives, we must always be aware of our own vibrancy, of our own values, for what others may see as intention, as reputation, is in actual fact character, it is honour and integrity moulded together by those who see with more than just their eyes, who feel with more than their gut instinct, it is those who have heard the call of Awaken, and who sleep only to dream.
The word woke receives too harsh a criticism, it has its own reputation in which it has found a place of derision in the minds of many without realising that it just another term for listening, for understanding the fine point of empathy to another’s life. To Awaken is to see that your world is not black and white, that it is full of texture and voluminous colours; and it is one in which the Roving Crows have made their musical nest within as they release their energetic folk-rock fusion sound to the world.
The new album, Awaken, is one of evolving the dynamic of the award-winning group, it is a creation of its own accord but one firmly set within the historical backdrop of its makers, and as tracks such as Pheonix, Stanhope Street, Freedom Song, Rise, Shine, and the album’s opener Awaken Now, all push the boundaries of progressive joy, so we find a meaning which shakes loose a rigid shackle of expression, not woke, but revolutionary, and to all things must revolution come.
In Paul O’Neill, Caitlin Barrett, and Jim Smith, the sound is one of passion, a Celtic infusion and influence, and combined as the Roving Crows refuse to compromise on beauty and countless charm, they are undeniably gregarious, prolific, and an agent of stunning urgency. An album of great warmth, of lavish style, and fulsome delivery, Awaken is progressive and traditional all once, but it also knocks on the door of the musical revolution, and unyielding in its defence.
Roving Crows release Awaken on 4th March.
Ian D. Hall