Album Notes

Nightshift Magazine Review

The Beard Museum is one of the Oxford music scene's best kept secrets. A monthly club night at the Purple Turtle, hosted by The Family Machine, it is not an open mic session or an acoustic club, more a celebration of the gentler side of pop. Local stalwarts like Richard Walters, Kate Garrett, Chamfer and Toulouse are regulars and they are among the 16 acts contributing to this compilation of Beard Museum favourites.

The Four Storeys return to action as Nick Kenny and the Pig Improvement Company, with the jaunty 'Friends,' the addition of former-Overground frontman Anthony Green to their ranks lending them a more country rock feel, although Mungo Jerry would be as close to the truth. Chamfer get soulful in a Beatles-y kins of way on 'White Stone,' while Kate Garrett is similarly steeped in classic 60s pop with her folky sci-fi wobble, 'Coming Home.'

Further in there is a gothic slide guitar-led canter from King of the Rumbling Spires; a solemn, reflective piano balled from Stuey Mutch that treads close to Tim Buckley territory; Banshees-style guitar noise and gothic wordiness from Red Star Cycle and wide-mouth pop exuberance from the fast-rising scamps Earnest Cox. The Beard Museum hosts, The Family Machine, steer their languorous countrified pop truck just the right side of silly, while Toulouse are similarly minded in their quest, a Merle Haggard-styled dose of down barroom country blues.

The very best here, aside from Kate Garrett and Stuey Mucth, are Chantelle Pike, whose 'Tumble' once again demonstrates why she's one of the best female singers in Oxford at the moment, and, towering above even this company, Richard Walters, who is surely destined for greater things, here, on the typically fragile 'Radio,' sounding like Robert Wyatt at his plaintive best.

The Beard Museum takes place on the last Sunday of each month at the Purple Turtle. You get in free if you've got a beard, although having a beard's not something we recommend. We would, however, heartily endorse getting a copy of this album.

Sue Foreman