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IN REVIEW
LEVELLERS
together all the way
Review by David Weddle
It is hard to believe that it has been 35 years since the formation of one of the UK’s most influential folk rock bands of the nineties. With 13 studio albums under their belt, Levellers have just added a 14th to their oeuvre with their brand new album, ‘Together All The Way’.
Putting a more traditional folky feel to the sound of some of their classics, Levellers have produced an acoustic album that will please the most avid Levellers fan. Longtime listeners and those discovering Levellers for the first time will not be left disappointed. With ‘Down By The River O’ which has an energy that is extremely contagious, and the epic introduction to the album with the atmospheric rendition of ‘Game’ which sets out Levellers stall from the very beginning of the album, it is clear that anyone listening is in for a real treat.
Putting a more traditional folky feel to the sound of some of their classics, Levellers have produced an acoustic album that will please the most avid Levellers fan. Longtime listeners and those discovering Levellers for the first time will not be left disappointed. With ‘Down By The River O’ which has an energy that is extremely contagious, and the epic introduction to the album with the atmospheric rendition of ‘Game’ which sets out Levellers stall from the very beginning of the album, it is clear that anyone listening is in for a real treat.
As well as refreshing songs from the past, Levellers also introduce us to two brand new tracks, the emotionally charged ‘Man O’ War’ and the anthemic ‘Sitting In The Social’. From the perspective of a soldier leaving his family to go to war in the heartbreaking ‘Man O’ War’ to the injustice in the social system in the anthemic ‘Sitting In The Social’ Levellers have not lost the ability to tell a story with integrity and style.
The album sees Dan Donnelly making his first official Levellers recording as well as Hannah Miller and Ollie Austin from the Moulettes, who joined Levellers on cello, vocals, and percussion. The sound created by this magical mix of musicians is just glorious. Never a dull moment, and full of little nuances that delight the ears, particularly in ‘The Cholera Well’.
From start to finish, there isn’t a dull moment, each track is reimagined in a way that adds a different dimension to the original but still sounds undeniably like a Levellers track. The title track, ‘Together All The Way’ is a prime example of this, a great achievement and something that Levellers should be proud of.
The band has dusted off their instruments and is currently on their 18 date ‘Together All The Way’ tour, which started on 27th of February with a show at Cheltenham Town Hall and ends on March 18th in Buxton. Wowing crowds across the UK with the newly arranged tracks.
2023 is a big year for Levellers, not only do they celebrate 35 years as a band, but they are also set to headline Beautiful Days Festival along with Suede and Primal Scream. The festival celebrates it’s 20th year as one of the UK’s biggest independent music festivals on August 18th–20th; check out the full line up here https://www.beautifuldays.org/
You can find Levellers new acoustic album ‘Together All The Way’ here https://levellers.tmstor.es/
The album sees Dan Donnelly making his first official Levellers recording as well as Hannah Miller and Ollie Austin from the Moulettes, who joined Levellers on cello, vocals, and percussion. The sound created by this magical mix of musicians is just glorious. Never a dull moment, and full of little nuances that delight the ears, particularly in ‘The Cholera Well’.
From start to finish, there isn’t a dull moment, each track is reimagined in a way that adds a different dimension to the original but still sounds undeniably like a Levellers track. The title track, ‘Together All The Way’ is a prime example of this, a great achievement and something that Levellers should be proud of.
The band has dusted off their instruments and is currently on their 18 date ‘Together All The Way’ tour, which started on 27th of February with a show at Cheltenham Town Hall and ends on March 18th in Buxton. Wowing crowds across the UK with the newly arranged tracks.
2023 is a big year for Levellers, not only do they celebrate 35 years as a band, but they are also set to headline Beautiful Days Festival along with Suede and Primal Scream. The festival celebrates it’s 20th year as one of the UK’s biggest independent music festivals on August 18th–20th; check out the full line up here https://www.beautifuldays.org/
You can find Levellers new acoustic album ‘Together All The Way’ here https://levellers.tmstor.es/