Nine Parts Devil

“There are tigers and elephants and goodies galore/If you want to enjoy them just knock on the door of the Carnival” (‘Carnival’).

Welcome to the weird and wonderfully wicked world of the Black Romantics, last heard playing second fiddle (and cello) to Jack Lukeman on his debut Wax album, where Brel danced with L and a legend was born.

Indeed, Lukeman contributes his considerable tonsils to one of the nine tracks, but for the most part, vocals here are more than ably handled by Carnival Saloon slinger supreme Paul Laffin, who is used to the Waitsean vaudeville required for the part. Laffin recreates his stage Waits on the brilliant ‘Welcome’, a stirring, stunning pastiche of dark cabaret, where the Dubliner’s demonic/Germanic rasp is delightfully unsettling.

Ginger O’Keefe, the bass-playing bandleader of this motley crew of brigands, proves himself a quality writer of murder ballads with the sumptious ‘George’, which would not have been out of place on old Nick’s collection of the genre.

Camille O’Sullivan handles vocals on Brel’s ‘Ces Gens La’ and Earl Burroughs’ ‘Plain Gold Ring’, the former a reasonably traditional take on the Flemish master, the latter a dub-bass extravaganza. Things are similarly jazzed-up on ‘Butcher Boy’, courtesy of programmer Spooky’s insistent backbeat. Martin Egan’s ‘Shepherd & The Maiden’ is brilliant, beautiful bog poetry, while Jack Lukeman’s voice has rarely sounded better than on the superb, melancholic closer ‘Hush! Hush!’.

Gloriously eclectic, unashamedly theatrical, Nine Parts Devil is a cracking album, and one that proves there’s plenty of life in these old sea-dogs yet.