THE HELLFIRE CLUB – Songs For Fallen Stars (Strength In Numbers SINR003)

Hellfire ClubI suppose we’ll have to label this Americana but labels can be deceptive. The Hellfire Club are based in Glasgow and their music has a very British feel. There are hints of rockabilly and indie and one track boasts a riff from an old Men The Couldn’t Hang track. Whatever you want to call it, Songs For Fallen Stars is a lot of fun.

The album opens with twenty-one seconds of old-timey fiddle crossing the channels before crashing into ‘Sun In The Sky’ which just cries out for a festival audience roaring out the chorus. It’s probably the most indie track with Nick Ronan’s fiddle held back in the mix. The songs are written Willie Brown and Rab Armour, both guitarists and vocalists, and bassist Mark Ferrari. ‘All Because Of You’ is different again. Opening with some processed sounds from what I guess is Kenny Irvine’s organ it gets nicely grungy before ending with a big Band-like chorus. ‘Cal’ is where the country music kicks in with the fiddle up front and another great chorus. ‘Private Campbell’ begins with mandolin and what I take to be scratchy hand percussion before expanding into the story of a neighbourhood tearaway who joins the army and who admits he has blood on his hands but insists he fought to defend his neighbourhood.

There are three more snippets of fiddle woven into the album and I can’t work out if they are archive recordings or the band’s little joke – I’ve been unable to track down the titles in any other context so I’m betting on the latter. The Hellfire Club have a feel for melody which is very welcome these days – there aren’t too many new albums you can sing along with. Yeah, I like this.

Dai Jeffries

Artists’ website: https://the-hellfire-club.bandcamp.com/

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