Album Review: Skinny Lister Forge & Flagon

With all this talk of sea shanties, trawlermen and gaffs, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Forge & Flagon, the debut LP from London act Skinny Lister, is a parody of sailor sing-alongs. As far as modern folk goes, our ears are so attuned to contemporary acts (à la Mumford & Sons), making it easy to forget the genre's hard-labouring, dirty-pub roots.  It's this love of the origin that Skinny Lister relish throughout their 12-track collection, a love that stems from pubs across the English landscape. John Kanaka takes you there within a heartbeat with its beer-soaked chant, hurling you right into the middle of a stomping male throng. Like many of the tracks on the album, it's irritatingly addictive, leaving you either loving the salvo of testosterone or loving to hate it.

If The Gaff Don't Let Us Down turns a simple arrangement into a frolicking foot-stomper through catchy, lyrical melodies, especially with the line, “I'll be dreaming 'bout you England 50 days and 50 nights”. Rollin' Over is another leaping gem, as is Trawlerman. The second half of the album takes an interesting turn, especially with the arrival of female vocalist Lorna Thomas, who's a sweet addition to the bro-heavy offerings. They also manage to strike a balance and (slightly) soften their rough tunes, all the while keeping their addictive, raucous sound. Seventeen Summers is filled with nostalgic resentment and hometown-yearning with the chorus line, “On these rotten streets my best days have been spent,” while the slow-building Colours is sure to strike a chord with indie-folk lovers. You may liken the hearty sing-alongs to brashness upon first listen, but before you press eject, give this record a good thumping (above the civil decibel count) and you'll be rallying around these guys in no time.