Gunwood - Dream Boat Jane

I was struck by something from the 1st listening: this album is very very musical.
If this doesn’t make you dance, I don’t know what you need. Like the actress Line Ancel, great presence as a wonderful heroin of precursory video "Dream Boat Jane". Watch it and probably you’ll kind of fall in love with her like I did (!)
(No, the drawing of the sleeve isn’t her.)

As for the music, here is a splendid traditional folk album. Markedly less blues than the 1st one, except one track ("Better Know Yourself Well"), which you’d swear was written for – and performed by – Joe Cocker!

So, of course, if you’re looking for something weird, something disturbing, something extravagant or provoking, you are not at the right place. Nothing revolutionary in this record indeed, yet... it’s a total blast! Sometimes in life music is just beautiful, revitalizing, rousing. On radiant and resolutely optimistic words, full of metaphors from nature.

It’s clearly eyeing America, with some little likeness to Far West ("Sparkles"), borderline country music ("Sunny Eyes"), or gospel backing vocals advocating freedom ("Share a Little Freedom").

A very small (and surprising) electro touch (is it really electro?), which evocates a didgeridoo for me ("Shades")... I find it off-topic in this album. But don’t let it stop you, for you would miss the following, including the irresistible Scottish traditional "Ye Jacobites by Name" and the Celtic final sweetness "Good Night Song" (its backing vocals, its drone, its banjo).

Anyway, I was struck by something from the 12th listening: Gunnar Ellwanger’s Germanic voice seems to snag on every consonant... yet it sounds well!