Deserters cover

Deserters

Released

With 1992’s Deserters, Oysterband put the “rock” in their British folk-rock sound. John Ravenhall’s production is big and rich, the songs often bordering on the anthemic. The program opens with “All That Way for This” and the title track, both of which feature intoxicating shout-along choruses, but there also quieter and tenderer moments — such as the rhythmically stomping but ultimately introspective “Never Left,” and the minor-key “Elena’s Shoes.” Overall, though, the sound is rockish bordering on aggressive, a refreshing blast of sound from a band known more for a somewhat sparer and more acoustic-based style.

Rick Anderson

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