A folky-Celtic-alternative mash up.
Children of a Factory Nation (COAFN) tells the tale of a real Welsh family struggling to adapt to the swiftly changing culture in London during the industrial revolution. This is a dark and moody album to state the obvious. Thanks to Jordan Reyne though, this morose tale is told beautifully. A Celtic influence is heard throughout the 55 minutes, with bagpipes, mandolins and drums setting the stage for Reyne’s voice. Rather than being a straightforward Celtic romp though, there are also many other influences present, including folk, industrial rock and alternative rock.
This is a beautiful album, however, it really isn’t meant to be experienced one song at a time. This is something that needs to be listened to as a whole to really be appreciated; it is a story after all. To spark interest though, tracks 7 and 11 stand-alone fairly well. Check this out if you’re interested a narrative type album.
Reviewed by: Brendan Higginbottom
RIYL: The Decemberists
Recommended Tracks: 7, 11
FCC Warning: None
Label: Factory Nation
Release Date: 24 October 2011