I don't usually go to the Netherlands for a taste of Scottish and English folk music, but Vooks -- were the band still in existence -- might be worth the journey.

The Dutch band formed in 2004 and, by all accounts, continued right up through 2015. When the Fish They Fly... was their debut recording (and I'm not sure if they made any more).

But it's good stuff. The band is led by lead singers Caroline Dijkman (who also contributes mountain dulcimer) and Steven Schoevaart (who provides acoustic bass guitar). Leading from behind is the talented Rinie Houben-Loenders, who provides backing vocals and percussion; she, however, is credited for most of the arrangements here, and they're truly well done.

Joining them on the album are Petra Nelissen on a variety of recorders, Irene Koster on violin, Hans de Wilde on cello and Maurice Hundscheidt on guitar. Jean Innemee provides vocals on the bonus track, "The Grey Cock or the Lover's Ghost." According to the liner notes, he died shortly after the recording was made.

The music is almost all traditional, drawn from collections compiled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by musicologists who traveled extensively through Britain and America and wrote down the lyrics and tunes of songs they encountered. On Fish, Vooks gives the songs new life, but never by attempting to modernize them. The music here is lovely, and I very much enjoy the way it's presented. Kudos to the band for resisting the urge to overproduce or adapt the songs so much they became unrecognizable!

On "Lovely Joan," for example, Dijkman's voice is accompanied only by a steady percussive beat and a pair of clapping hands. It's all the more effective for its simplicity.

Other songs on the album include "The Bloody Gardener," "The Two Brothers," "Come All You Fair & Tender Ladies," "The Mermaid," "Two Sisters," "Nelly the Milkmaid" and "Swing a Lady." Fans of traditional music from the British Isles should definitely try to find a copy.