Tag: Roses

3 Daft Monkeys are a band that would have John Peel salivating if he were still with us. They are from Cornwall and it may be that you haven’t encountered them so here’s a bit of background information. For a start there are four of them. Tim Ashton is the front man with violinist Athene Roberts the front woman. Athene is something of a virtuoso, mastering every style. Jamie Graham plays bass and piano and Rich Mulryne is the percussionist, particularly hand percussion. Information Camouflage is their eighth full album with a couple of EPs and a DVD set to look out for.

The opener, ‘Power To The Peaceful’, is an anthemic crowd-rouser, featuring Athene on middle-eastern influenced violin. The song would suit Levellers, coincidentally the very band they were supporting when I heard them live, although the arrangement and style are very different. From now on, the theme is misinformation or, if you prefer, lying. The title track is an attack on the mainstream media and the government machine and I suppose that the key phrase, aimed at all of us, is “Did I question it all/or did I question at all?”.

Now the band go off on a diversion. ‘The Fiji Mermaid’ is based on the old freak show exhibit with Athene playing the side-show barker and Tim telling the truth all set to a fairground arrangement and more exotic violin. ‘New Tomorrow’ brings us back to the present day – very much so – as it parrots politicians’ pre-election promises. A very clever song, making its point with some subtlety. Subtlety isn’t so much in evidence on ‘A Message To Authority’ although the laid-back arrangement is far more effective than a heavy electric thrash would have been. I don’t know if ‘The Prison Song’ is in any way autobiographical or metaphorical – I suspect the latter. The significant line, “men guilty of poverty trying to feed their family” covers a lot of ground.

‘This Is My Call’ is a sort of summary of the issues that Information Camouflage has already covered just in case we were in any doubt and ‘Easily’ follows that with an exhortation to “live your best life” fuelled by a quasi-mystical ‘Energy’. ‘It Was You’ is closest they come to a conventionally romantic song although you might only recognise it in passing. Finally, the unaccompanied ‘Ebb And Flow’ brings us back brings us back to Cornwall and the band’s maritime heritage. It’s almost a folk song.

Information Camouflage is an excellent album full of important ideas and complex arrangements. If you haven’t met 3 Daft Monkeys before this is the perfect place to start. Me, I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.

Dai Jeffries

Artists’ website: www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk

‘Roses’ – officially live: