CD review: Sergeant Buzfuz

I didn't think much of the new Sergeant Buzfuz record, but then by the law of averages you aren't going to like everything.


ARTIST: SERGEANT BUZFUZ

ALBUM: THE JEWELLED CARRIAGEWAY

LABEL: BLANG

Rating:

Sergeant Buzfuz is an oddly-named folk/pop/rock crossover band. Behind the lyrics about the abundance of TV, urban desolation or the first millennial history of the papacy are Celtic and folk rhythms, accordions and violins. Sometimes it works, mostly it doesn't. The musicians are adept, but the songwriting is below-par. The tracks seem to meander aimlessly, and the vocal melody often bears no correlation to the music.



The thorn in Sergeant Buzfuz's side is the vocals of Joe Murphy. He struggles to hold a melody and feels like a distraction from otherwise pleasant roots music. If you do manage to wade through ten mediocre tracks there is a reward for persevering listeners. 'Here come the popes part 1 (first millenium)' is an impressive history lesson containing 1000 years of church history in 6 minutes and 57 seconds. But the rest of 'The Jewelled Carriageway' is an uninspring and forgettable bunch of songs so few people will ever make it far enough to receive the education.