The Albino Peacock

With a fun mix of clarinets, bouzouki, kaval, violins, drums, bass, electric guitar, autoharp, dulcimer and recorders, Birmingham-based Bonfire Radicals are on a self-confessed mission ‘to refresh your ideas about traditional acoustic folk music.’

Their boldly infectious debut, The Albino Peacock, takes a curiously beguiling set of influences before combining them in a great big bowl of splendid experimentation. For example, title-track and opener is ‘a mix of 18th century hornpipes metamorphosed into a fake New Orleans street dance.’ Other inspirations, such as Hungarian dance tunes, waltzes, polkas and reels pepper this somewhat exciting and surprising album. ‘Lucy Hampton's Wedding’ starts as a sublime waltz before descending into a fiery mazurka, while ‘Fizzlesticker’ wigs out with some rather feisty African-influenced jigs. ‘The Left-Hand Reel’ displays the bands playfully respectful response to tradition with a rather expert set of reels before ‘I Wish’ finishes off with a surprisingly sweet yet darkly atmospheric conclusion.

Raucous and eclectic, The Albino Peacock is sheer merriment bundled into a gorgeous set of ideas and influences – all guaranteed to leave listeners smiling from ear to ear.