I've reviewed Blackbeard's Tea Party three times previously. I recently discovered a fourth album, Reprobates, waiting patiently for me to free it from a pile of unreviewed discs, and I'm glad it finally caught my notice.

As on their 2013 disc Whip Jamboree, the English folk-rock band is led by Stuart Giddens, who sings lead and plays melodeon, along with Laura Boston-Barber on fiddle and backing vocals, Liam "Yom" Hardy on cajon, tambourine, cymbals, Dave Boston on djembe, congas, bells, and shakers, Martin Coumbe on electric guitar and backing vocals, and Tim Yates on bass guitar and backing vocals.

The album begins with a steampunk-themed murder ballad, "Steam Arm Man," written by Giddens about a man who lost an arm at Waterloo and ... improvised. "Hangman's Noose" is a driving instrumental that spotlights the fiddle and guitar, but gives everyone a chance to shine. "The Ballad of William Kidd" interprets the pirate's bloody tale.

The album features several awesome instrumental tracks, rooted firmly in traditional sounds but electrified with wild energy that give the tunes new life. Boston-Barber and Coumbe are an especially good match, blending fiddle with electric guitar in sets that don't let you sit still.

But it's Giddens' raucous renditions that give the vocal tracks extra vim and a rowdy personality that catches you by the ears and won't let go. Standouts include "The Slave Chase," about a Royal Navy ship's pursuit of a slave trader, and "Jack Ketch," a grisly celebration of Charles II's prolific executioner. The final track, "Close the Coalhouse Door," is a chilling, stripped-down lament recalling the Aberfan disaster in 1966, when the spoils of a Welsh coal mine cascaded as a deadly slurry into the town and killed 116 children and 28 adults.

Reprobates is yet another strong album from Blackbeard's Tea Party. If you haven't heard this band perform, check out their albums for a taste of modern English folk-rock done well.

[ visit Blackbeard's Tea Party online ]