Jeez, it’s almost a decade since the previous studio album from Ireland’s brilliant Socks in the Frying Pan. I believe they’ve been otherwise active all these years, though, and when inspiration finally came and they headed for the studio, Waiting For Inspiration came out sounding fresh and vibrant late last year.
In the cover photo, the trio looks like adults instead of young rascals, but the music is as vivid as it was before – and perhaps even a bit more so. I did a quick memory refresher to the old releases and it confirmed what I thought when I listened to this one.
The basic concept is as it was: three guys playing both traditional-style tunes and more singer-songwriter oriented stuff. But there’s a fullness now in their sound; a bit more light and shade and depth. I don’t know if it’s the years gone by or studio tech, or both, but on the whole Waiting For Inspiration sounds… richer. Not by a lot, but it’s there. A decade has passed, after all, and time does bring gifts to those artist who are capable of accepting them.
Favorites? The Lighthouse opens the album in great style; Shoot the Arrow is my #1 of the songs on the album; The Siberian Set and Beetlejig Beetlejig Beetlejig (play it three times and see what happens? 😉) are top class trad-style tunes. The rest are fab too, no castaways on this one.
I would say that if their 2010’s albums were fun and uplifting, this one is enjoyable – that’s my very subjective description of the difference I sense between then and now. If you liked SITFP before, you might love them now.
https://socksinthefryingpan.com/product/waiting-for-inspiration/
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