The album “Rouse & Raise Your Voice” by the British duo “Broom Bezzums,” whose stage birth took place in a distillery in Germany, marks a milestone in their band’s history. Andrew Cadie and Mark Bloomer have been touring the country making music for two decades now.
And to celebrate this occasion, they are treating their fans and themselves the gift of a vinyl LP limited to 500 copies, which traces their shared journey. The title of the LP is taken from a line in one of their best-known songs “Keep Hauling.”
The album opens with “Crooked Jack,” the very first song that Mark and Andrew sang together at their now legendary debut gig in the aforementioned distillery in the Moselle town of Ediger-Eller in 2005.
The arrangement of this famous workers’ piece came about spontaneously during a short rehearsal before the gig and became the benchmark for their sound from then on. Contrasting vocal harmonies and powerful guitar and violin playing oscillate between traditional folk and free-flowing improvisation.
As the needle moves inward, songs like “Beg, Blag & Steal” demonstrate a further development, with the characteristic sound complemented by drums and double bass. Katie Doherty, who accompanied the band on many tours and recordings between 2011 and 2016, is heavily featured on “Wine From a Mug.”
From more thoughtful, bottleneck- and loop-heavy songs from this year’s album “Standing Strong,” which earned them their second German Record Critics’ Award, to a rousing set of fiddle reels, the rawness of the band’s live shows is always palpable. More information can be found here.