3 Daft Monkeys - Social Vertigo

First off, let's just resign ourselves to the fact that there is no way to concisely and adequately depict the sound of Cornish funk-folk steeped in Bavarian fiddle with passages of ska-like levity and intermittent departures into Arabian scales or the occasional shanty. There are glimpses of accessibility, occasionally reminiscent of The Coral at their wackiest, but these are too infrequent to secure much in the way of mainstream appeal. Likewise, its easy to imagine many folk purists disapprovingly shaking their heads amidst the madness. The album highlight is probably closing number "Dance of the Old Man of Storr" which should appeal to fans of Dirty Three and Warren Ellis. 3 Daft Monkeys execute their music with considerable competence and the fiddle in particular is often quite superb. However, the rampant eclecticism carries with it a lack of identity which characterises this album as more of a novelty than a musical triumph. [Chris Cusack]