Black Parrot SeasideAin't it Grand?
Spindrift Records Spin118
Originally formed in the mid-seventies at the tail-end of the electric folk revival, Black Parrot Seaside always kept things light' parody, satire, humour and a great tune were their trade marks. They eventually folded in 1982, but in 2006 they re-formed for a charity gig and enjoyed it so much that three years later, they are still together. On their latest release, the quartet of Geoff Veasey (vocals, tambourine, and swanee whistle), Mick Harris (mandolin, banjo, and accordion), Eddie Jones (fiddle, accordion, and pub piano) and Arnold Chave (acoustic and electric guitar) turn their humorous gaze on all sorts of subjects. They cover DIY on the opening track (with which I identify so much….I'll tell the story of the foot through the kitchen ceiling another time), nostalgically look back to the old days of the cinema (Odeon) and the steam locomotive (Requiem for Steam), and take the mickey out of the current trend for Mockney accents on the brilliant Cockney Power, with a brief medley of London songs. This amusing and affectionate look at the world today is an album well worth listening to.
