It is obvious from the outset that Crowns are very proud of their Cornish roots and this is reflected throughout the E.P, not only quite literally in song titles such as ‘Bodmin Town’, but also the release date of the E.P being St Piran’s Day (which is the day in which Cornwall’s patron saint is celebrated). This is a nice touch and is refreshing to see in an industry so full of pomp and pretension, laying strong foundations for a young band that seem to know exactly what direction they are heading.
It seems the regeneration of folk music is set to continue into this year and it couldn’t do so in a better way. Crowns folk-punk is a breath of fresh air to a genre, which a lot of current folk bands (ahem, Mumford and Sons) were turning a bit stale. Their music is full of energy instantly pulling you in like a good band ought to.
Opening track ‘Full Swing’ begins with just the vocals and a solitary bass drum, leading into an infectious mandolin led sing-a-long ballad. The positivity of this track is as good an opening as any, asking the question, ‘What they gonna do when we’re in full swing’ challenging anyone to find out for themselves.
Mike Davies of Radio One’s punk show has championed this band and it is easy to see why. ‘Kissing Gates’ opening bars could easily be an intro to a Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphy’s song, with Jake Butler’s gruff vocal also drawing comparisons to the aforementioned. ‘Whose Pint’s Whose’ is a nod to one of those times in the pub when all becomes a blur, hence the song title. The lyrics ‘Away with the worries, away with the world’ ring true to the sentiment of this song, portraying the feel-good vibe often associated with this situation.
Having previously supported the Pogues at the Brixton Academy last year it easy to see how influential they have been. ‘Hell Or High Water’ being a prime example of this, with the bittersweet emotion of this mirroring Shane McGowan’s rasping vocal. You can almost taste the sea spray during this joyous sea-shanty.
There is a real feel-good factor about this E.P, with almost a carnival theme throughout, full of exhilarating energy. I have yet to experience Crowns live, but if this raw energy is successfully converted from record to their live shows then I’m sure it would be an experience you wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
Sion Jones
