Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Glory comes in many forms, quite often it appears breathlessly in the unexpected, in the moments that the listener or observer might seem at first to mistake for candid reveal, the emergence of the heroic is not always heralded by the sound of golden trumpets, the muse does not always kiss the artist upon first urging, and yet still the glory comes. It requires no fame, no sense of legend or flashing of bulbs or the headlines proclaiming of how the bold spend their free time, all that is needed is the appreciation that it was done, the respect and perhaps the prominence of the position taken in bring something new to the attention of those around them.

For some glory comes in the discovery of an ancient parchment or a set of writing that might not have seen the light of day for a period of time, its delicate nature holding onto the thread of time with the plea of being unearthed by a like minded soul before it becomes dust or intelligible; it is the mirror of our lives and one to which is as fragile as a spider’s web when hit by the decay of uneaten food.

The Glory of the West, the second full length album by Boldwood, sees the continuation of a story that in itself has not been heard in over a decade, a tale of splendour and triumph born out of discovery, of marrying the classical to the Folk tradition and one that was set up beautifully in the group’s initial foray into the world of studio recording, the critically acclaimed Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now, and now takes another forward step in this latest offering.

With Becky Price, Kate Moran, Daniel Wolverson and Matthew Coatsworth all placing down their individual talent in the search of the optimum group collective, Glory of the West is a re-emergence of the original dance pastime, not one from a modern viewpoint, one instead that revives older, perhaps more instinctive and passionate displays of the art form.

In tracks such as Bath Carnival, Poet Laureate, The Babylon, Just As the Tide Was Turning, At The Brow of the Hill and Calgarth Hornpipe, Boldwood have returned armed and fully loaded with an empathy to the music and the times, whether they are of the past in which the dance was called, or to our society now, in need of a long term fix and back to different way of practising what is preached.

The Glory of the West, an album that holds its own sincere path with honesty, a welcome return from Boldwood!     

Ian D. Hall