Lupen Crook and the Murderbirds - Iscariot the Ladder
by Jamie Rowland
published: 29 / 1 / 2008
Label:
Tap 'n' Tin Records
Format: CD
intro
Dark and twisted, but catchy folk on superb second album from Medway-based singer-songwriter Lupen Crook and his band the Murderbirds
Lupen Crook’s output has been very subdued since the release of his debut album, 'Accidents Occur Whilst Sleeping', in 2006. After a spate of releases and favourable press (including a place on the NME’s cool list – woo-bloody-hoo) Crook seemed to disappear almost completely until late last year, when he released ‘Matthew’s Magpie’, a reworking of a track from his first EP, with his band the Murderbirds now receiving joint credit. As reviewed for Pennyblackmusic at the time, it showed much promise for the band’s second full-length release. The resultant album, 'Iscariot the Ladder', lives up to the promise. As well as ‘Matthew’s Magpie’, the album’s high points are the almost-pop ‘Young Love’, ‘Summer Time’, ‘Sympathy, Sunshine and the Catatonic Kiss…Goodbye’ (a typically Crook-ian title) and a full-band version of Crook fan-favourite ‘Lucky Six’ which brings the album triumphantly to a close. Shorter than the experimental 'Accidents…', and as a result much more focused, 'Iscariot the Ladder' more closely resembles the band you will see at a Murderbird’s gig – dark, twisted folk with catchy hooks, folk-influenced bass-lines and Crook’s bizarre but brilliant vocal style. Lupen Crook and the Murderbirds are one of many bands proving that the UK music scene has more up its sleeves than the Kooks and 18 different versions of the Libertines.
Track Listing:-
1 Cackle And The Crown2 The Number Of Frames
3 Matthew's Magpie
4 Stag Head And Monster
5 Summer Time
6 Sympathy, Sunshine and The Catatonic Kiss ... Goodbye
7 Young Love
8 The Critic
9 Splits 'n' Differences
10 Lucky Six
reviews |
|
The Lost Belongings EP (2009) |
|
| Fabulous latest EP from Chatham-based songwriter Lupen Crook which finds him merging gothic-folk feeling of his early recordings with an increased pop sensibility |
| Matthew's Magpie (2007) |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart