From first listen it is clear that Billow Wood's debut release 'Walls of Caves' is going to challenge the traditional music genre.
Songs such as ‘Running With Wolf’, ‘Rabbit Hole’, and ‘Pushin And Shovin’ mix Irish traditional instrumentation and music with multi-layered vocal harmonies. This quickly establishes the sound of the band as a blend of the energy of trad with a more contemporary sound similar to the works of Florence and the Machine and Fleetwood Mac.
Mixed and mastered by Martin Quinn at JAM Studios in County Meath, Mark O’Donnell’s fiddle and guitar arrangements work beautifully with the harp and guitar of Harry Lawlor. Both blend seamlessly with the Bodhrán, flute, and whistles of Ciara O’Donnell and the accordion of Bríd O’Donnell. Add in the sweet-sounding mix of the vocals and the beauty of the recording comes to the fore.
Two instrumentals – ‘The Black River’ and ‘The Ox And The Birch’ fully embrace the traiditonal Irish genre. Others such as ‘Should I Stay’ veer off into Americana territory.
‘Walls of the Caves’ is an album that embraces the musical heritage at its root and builds upon it with vigour and flourish to deliver an energetic melody-driven sound.