Akibas Tree Of Loving Soul CD

The AkibasTree Of Loving Soul (Lovely Aichan Records),http://www.myspace.com/akibas From Devon, The Akibas are a female fronted, folk-rock outfit, with the slightest of country twang tucked away in the mix. Their second album, Tree Of Loving Soul (Lovely Aichan Records), was recorded in East London's legendary Toerag studios, and is a thoroughly engaging hybrid of chug-a-long rock and pristine female vocals. The latter come courtesy of Melodie Jones, who possesses a voice which exemplifies the blemished purity that we've come to expect from our roots divas, though their presence has hardly been fashionable or even noticeable since their 70s heyday; Sandy Denny dead, Linda Thompson, apart from her recent comeback, struck silent and Anne Briggs, long retired and still hating the sound of her own voice. Not that The Akibas share a whole lot of common ground with those hallowed folkies. The band, led by Huw Akiba-Jones - he contributes songs and production, but doesn't play or sing - appear to owe more to the basic rock 'n roll urges of the Velvet Underground than the delicate cut and thrust of classic English folk-rockers like early Fairport Convention or the more traditional, though slightly naff, Steeleye Span. It's also worth noting that throughout the 11 songs on Tree Of Loving Soul, they consistently combine accessible tunes with songs that lodge in the brain for longer than is technically healthy. Works for me, and although they're seriously difficult to pigeonhole, well worth tracking down. Rob Forbes