Dublin’s “False Lankum” feels like it has been dug up like hidden treasure beneath the belly of the bog, gleaming beneath the earth like a Celtic axe, cutting to the core of the human condition. It will take you on a Shamanic journey so intense that you will come out the other side feeling like your soul has been in a speed wash – in a good way. The first track ‘Go Dig My Grave’ is so visceral that it will shake you to the core. A reworking of an old folk song with several incarnations Lankum have constructed the piece so cleverly that it grips and tricks the listener with a haunting narrative, swelling like a Celtic demon layered on a dark bed full of drones and dulcimers, putting a shiver down your spine. Breathing space comes in the swell and sway of ‘Clear Away In the Morning’ followed by the first of three ambient Fugues. In ‘Master Crowley‘s’ trad instrumental you can hear every wheeze of the living and breathing concertinas, leading to an unexpected demonic siren swirling and pulling the listener slowly underwater. Just when you start to feel comfortable, they take the listener down another spiral, creating a purposeful sense of disorientation, but trust the journey and you will soon arrive at the stunningly accomplished ‘Netta Perseus’ with unexpected shadows in the soundscapes.
Lankum is pure punk, pushing the genre to its limit, amalgamating the best of folk with elements of metal, krautrock, punk and psychedelia, creating a new genre of its own, transcending cultural boundaries using Indian harmoniums, echoing the drones of the uilleann pipes perfectly and bringing a depth and harmony to the tracks and recognition of the universality of the human condition. It’s as twisted and stunning as a Celtic Knot. As the legendary Irish singer Frank Harte said, “Those in power write the history while those who suffer write the songs.”
Succinctly summing up a Mercury Prize shortlisted magnum opus like ‘False Lankum’ is a daunting task. Lankum’s fourth LP will surely be studied for its contribution to expanding contemporary sonic landscapes, but limiting the body of work as a triumph of ‘traditional’ or ‘folk’ genres misses the mark on exactly how experimental and fearless it is. From Radie Peat’s haunting voice that could make a spine-tingling impact in any era (her take on The Deadlians’ song ‘Newcastle’ is a must-listen), to the unbelievable amount of instruments the Dublin quartet perform, it’s impossible to come away from ‘False Lankum’ without hearing genius.
Our 4th album “False Lankum” is out now on Rough Trade Records.
The Fat Angel Sings 