Review: Album – Kris Drever, John McCusker & Roddy Woomble – Before the Ruin

9:36pm Thursday 23rd October 2008

THE twisted world of folk music has sucked in Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble.

Drever, McCusker and Woomble met through collaborations with the angelic folk superstar Kate Rusby, and in the best collaborative traditions of folk decided to make an album together.

Compared to Idlewild this is quite gentle and melancholy, and every song is well crafted and pleasant to listen to.

But "pleasant" is the problem; none of this, even by the easygoing standards of some folk music, jumps out at the listener.

And playing back Drever's last collaborative album, Lau's Lightweights and Gentlemen, it's clear that folk can be very gripping indeed.