Tempest - Going Home (2022)

Tempest’s new album, Going Home, is alive with Celtic and Scandinavian folk nuances, which are all framed with really nice electric eclectic gusto. It’s just an idea, but so many of these festival Celtic (and oft time punk!) bands just turn the amps to ten and then play really loud jigs, reels, and songs that sound like Pogues wannabe covers.

Not so here. The first instrumental tune, ‘Mrs. Preston’s Favourite’, buzzes with Lee Corbie-Wells’ fiddle, electric (Thank you, Nikolay Georgiev!) guitar, and rock engine room of Hugh Caley and Adolfo Lazo. Of course main Tempest guy Lief Sorbye provides a folky pulse (with nuance aplenty!) with his mandolin. Apparently, this album moves the band further into a fusion of Scandinavian and its traditional Celtic sound. As a reference, the sound is similar to the great Swedish band, Hoven Droven (sans sax) yet never forgets the quick step of Fairport Connection, circa ‘Dirty Linen’ on their brilliant Full House album.

Then, the band ups the drama in their cover of Roger McGuinn’s ‘Jolly Roger’ (Yeah, that’s guy from The Byrds!) with a wonderous wah-wah solo. This sort of, for want of a better term, historical buccaneer song has long been part of the Tempest template. The song, ‘Captain Morgan’ from their Bootleg album, has been a big bit on their various celebrations of their many successful folk rock albums.

The lovely sounds continue: ‘Shepherd’s Daughter’ is based a traditional song (of seduction, of course!) and truly echoes the sound of all those wonderful bands (like Hedgehog Pie!) that followed in the wake of Steeleye Span’s successful big-time single ‘All Around My Hat’ and the sadly unsuccessful Fairport Convention’s 45 rpm attempt at radio glory, ‘Now Be Thankful’.

Then, and this is a big deal, ‘Dark Lover Song For A Vampire’ truly evokes the Celtic soul of (my beloved!) Horslips found in the grooves of their very best The Tain and Dancehall Sweethearts vinyl moments. That’s a huge complement.