Tattie Toes - Turnip Famine

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 7 / 9 / 2011

---

Review

Tattie Toes come from Glasgow, but comprise a singer from the Basque country, Nerea Bello and Welshman Rafe Fitzpatrick on violin along with native Scots Howie Reeve on bass and Shane Connolly on drums. Odd features as these may seem, they combine very well resulting in a somewhat rural blend of cross-country world music if you like. Nerea's vocals range from squeaky to impressive and incomprehensive, often hinting at music from Eastern Europe and further east, even as far as ethnic folk music from Japan. They are firmly down-to-earth though, hence their band name, and delirious in a wacky, but sober way. Rafe's violin often sounds like a forlorn instrument, leading the melody line. Outspoken in terms of Oriental, Balkan or Asian stylistics, it is odd to say the least that the fiddling comes from a Welshman. Rafe Fitzpatrick has a hand though in almost all the tracks on 'Turnip Famine' whilst the lyrics of Nerea Bello seem to use the words and idiom from Slav languages rather than the Basque language, yet I am no expert on either of those; and thus in no position to judge. Nerea Bello even provides a challenge to Arabian or Moor chants. The origins to this album are so very diverse, but the 'Turnip Famine' title is very much a giveaway. The album quality waltzes between the mountainous regions of the Balkans, the Pyrénées and the walls of Offa and Hadrian. A weird disposition if there ever was one, 'Turnip Famine' on the one hand urges me to leap about, and on the other pushes me down. Tattie Toes, however, deserve their place. They are a winning combination of diversity in music.

Track Listing:-

1 Lord Phunkar
2 Radio Liberacion
3 She Danced To Sirens
4 Jungle
5 Matilde
6 Amafola
7 Mikeltxo
8 Taiko Lullaby
9 Shanty
10 Between The Showers
11 They're Waiting
12 Mama Titty Toes
13 Minneto

Label Links:-

http://www.pickled-egg.co.uk/