Returning with their latest folk-pop album Yours To Break, much to the delight of Australian fans, are Canadian outfit The East Pointers.
A seamless blend of traditional Celtic-folk rhythms and infectiously poppy undercurrents, Yours To Break represents a milestone breakthrough in the band’s development as genre-crossing nomads.
The East Pointers are most definitely “passionate about tradition, but believe it doesn’t belong in a box in the attic,” with Yours to Break kicking down the rigid definitions held by the more conservative traditional folk specialists to produce something which spectacularly salutes its Celtic roots, while refreshing the genre with instantly catchy pop-rhythms.
The result is a patchwork masterpiece of complex banjo and fiddle sections, masterfully blended with punchy, thumping rhythms and instantly singable vocals in a genre-bending mashup that feels surprisingly natural. The skill and musicianship of this folk power troupe is clear in their dizzying arpeggiated string melodies and three-part harmonies which create a trance-like effect characteristic of the festive sound of Celtic folk.
If the enigma of folk-pop has stumped heavyweights of traditional folk in the past, then The East Pointers display a flash of brilliance in organic composition, demonstrating indisputable ease in incorporating the most interesting and enjoyable elements of somewhat two estranged musical genres. Working much to their success in the composition process is the Pointers’ songwriting ethos that “traditions belong to the people who shepherd them into the next generation,” considering first and foremost the accessibility their music should have to young and contemporary audiences.
The importance of accessibility is clear in the album’s opening track Wintergreen which was released along with a one-of-a-kind music video featuring Australia’s very own lady Wiggle Emma Watkins. Watkins communicates the song’s lyrics through energetic verses of sign-language incorporated into some upbeat contemporary-folk choreography.
The East Pointers will be returning to their much loved Australian audiences with an extensive album tour beginning at Woodford Folk Festival at the end of the year. Check the full list of tour dates and venues at their website.
Meanwhile, get stuck into the brilliance of Yours to Break above.
