The Band Of Holy Joy as ever fill me with trepidation at having to play there music, while being dragged back to the late 80's and early 90's and one particularly infamous gig they played in Chelsea with Momus, an event that made me banish them from my listening for over 20 years, until I started being asked to review their live shows and new albums around the time of the excellent Funambulist We Love You, that caused me to set aside the prejudices I had against the behavior of some of the Band Of Holy Joy's fans towards Momus, allowing the music to do the talking. It does a very good job of convincing me they are once again well worth hearing and that Johny Brown is a very fine under rated songwriter. This album also has a range of films made to accompany the music as well as a Poetry night.
The album fades in with some strings and a grand piano sounding like the sea lashing out at the Lighthouse Keeper as he struggles to get into his Lighthouse before they start singing about the uncertainties of modern life.
New York Romantic is a lush sad tale of romance on the other side of the pond, this has the air of dreaming of the good old days, while falling head of heels in love with someone willing to return the lust implicit in the roving sax solo.
A Citadel Of Crooked Soul seems to share a sensibility with Danny & Dusty's Cast Iron Soul, this is bruised yet hopeful that they can once again be out of their heads and enjoying life once more.
Mersey Ferry On River Thames is a glossy interlude allowing you to drift across the Thames without any dreadful boy band playing over the stereo. Our Flighty season In The Dirty Sun has a cool jazzy edge to this tale of taking a plane ride and dreaming of better times at your destination.
Circus Folk has some very gentle fairground organ that the tune is built around, as the guitars and vocals create a mournful reminiscence of days of yore, when running away to the circus felt like a real aim for a decent life.
City People is a bruised tale of the toll life takes on your looks as well as the need for love and company as the keyboards entice, as the allure of the strings draw you into this tale of love turning to hate, despair among the ruins of the depths to which you've sunk, the doleful sax helping to wipe away the tears of pain.
An Instagram Moon is the modern malaise that falls somewhere between a Hunters Moon and a Blue Moon, this has the most strident guitars on the album and glistening strings as the vocal harmonies make clear the triviality of just another Instagram moon.
The Curve Of The Bay is gently mesmeric music to chill out and look out to sea too. Full Bloom Of Roses is slightly downhearted ballad for anyone still hoping for a few dreams to come true.
The album closes with Babylon Farewell a slow strummed elegy for someone deserting the big city to go back to the small town they came from, as Johny name checks Bowie and other influences as he goes on one last bender before the calm of the middle of nowhere embraces him.
Find Out More at https://bohj.bandcamp.com/album/fated-beautiful-mistakes https://www.facebook.com/bandofholyjoy http://bandofholyjoy.co.uk/
