The Clarke Sisters open their self-titled debut album with "Copperplate Set," one of the jammingest fiddle sets I've heard in a while. Emma Peters and Harriet Wilder both lay down some righteous licks on fiddle, while Willie Barr adds enthusiastic support on guitar. Damn, the album's been on for mere moments, and already I'm raving about this one.

Actually, The Clarke Sisters is a CD I know quite well. Arriving some time ago for review, it quickly found a home in my car stereo, where it has made many appearances. At some point, I'd forgotten that I hadn't reviewed it; I was content simply to let it play and play and play. Now it's time to rectify that oversight and share the wealth with everyone else.

The Clarke Sisters, much like Jethro Tull and Monty Python, misdirect their audience with a misleading name. There is no one named Clarke in the band, and there are no sisters, either. But heck, with music like this, they can call themselves whatever they want and I'll still stand in line to hear them! And, while based in London, they could certainly pass themselves off as Dubliners with their sound and style!

Barr makes the first vocal incursion here, demanding attention with the martial "Follow Me Up to Carlow." The songs are evenly split between Barr and Peters; both have strong voices, although Peters tends towards the gentler fare. On "The Lowlands of Holland," she projects the misery of a new bride separated from her husband gone to war, while she paints misery in an a cappella version of "She Moved Through the Fair." She gets more forceful -- and keenly bitter -- in the post-war "Johnny I Hardly Knew You." Barr, meanwhile, rants through a vigorous "Mrs. McGrath" and gets quirky in a slow, atmospheric, very unique take on "Johnny Jump Up."

The band boasts some excellent composers, too. Some of my favorite tracks are Clarke originals: "Into the Gorse," "Jacqui's Hairspray/Charlotte's Reel" and "Quinny's Lamentation at the Loss of Duty Free/Mrs. Clarke." When they're not writing tunes, they're arranging them -- throwing in enough jazzy, old-timey, swingy and just plain clever bits to keep it all very fresh and exciting. This is an album you don't want to end (or, for that matter, bring in from the car long enough to write about).

This is a CD you absolutely must track down and acquire. You won't regret it for a moment.

- Rambles
written by Tom Knapp
published 14 June 2003