Flame of Fire

This English supergroup of sorts has been around for a fair few decades now, keeping things fresh with the aid of lengthy breaks between bouts of touring and recording – which is why Flame Of Fire is only their fifth album. Vocals are split more or less down the middle between the great Martin Carthy (guitar, mandolin, 5-string banjo) and the equally great John Kirkpatrick (accordion, concertina), both of whom have folk pedigrees as long as your arm.

The stately sound that results is eminently suited to the old-style country dances and ballads favoured by Carthy and Kirkpatrick – but there’s nothing stodgy about the bawdy lyrics of some of these songs. Where’s a parental advisory sticker when you need one?