Arrogance Ignorance And Greed

Show of Hands have taken a different approach with what is their 20th studio release: the album, Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed.

The album begins with a sparse, haunting version of the traditional tune, Lowlands. Carried purely by three-part harmony and double bass, the raw arrangement sets the tone for the rest of the album.

In fact, if you were to use one word to sum up the whole album, raw is the one that seems most fitting. If producer Stu Hanna (Megson) said that his focus was to bring out Steve Knightley and Phil Beer's musicianship and the "woodiness of the acoustic instruments" then he has succeeded in spectacular fashion. He has also managed to give listeners a taste of the energy that fans know is so present at the band's live shows.

Whilst other songs sound altogether more complex, such as Evolution and The Keys of Canterbury, this is never at the expense of Steve Knightley's lyrics, which are at the centre in every song- from The Napoli, the story of the looters that took to Branscombe Bay when the ship ran aground, to the sweeping emptiness of Drift.

It is quite a dark album in subject matter, but there is probably not another band that is able to capture the current mood and events in their songwriting than Show of Hands. Like Roots and Country Life, songs like Arrogance Ignorance and Greed bring the anger felt by ordinary people during the global economic crisis to the fore, whilst IED (Improvised Explosive Device) makes you stop and think about the people involved in planting such items.

There are some great collaborations on the album, notably the appearance of Jackie Oates, whose voice compliments Steve's vocals on The Vale and also The Keys of Canterbury very well. Jim Causley also appears, and it is these collaborations that highlight the band's talents even more. A great album.

A friend introduced me to Show of Hands earlier this year and since then I have been hooked. I've now seen them at live at Abbotsbury and Hertford and going to the Exeter show, and owning most f their CDs. Got a signed copy of this one at Hertford and had a chat with both Steve and Phil who are such down to earth guys. The new songs are great, my favourites being Evolution, Senor, IED, AIG, Keys to Canterbury. I feel that these are going to be classic SOH songs and rightly so. Buy this album whether your into folk or soft rock you will love this.

Why are Show of hands not massively famous? probably because they play proper songs and proper instruments and don't appear in newspapers or talent shows. This is real traditional music, folk, protest, acoustic, and honest. Even the covers are a delight here, And Senior (tales of yankee power) makes me shudder every time.. Not for shallow pop lovers, for true music fans. I'm proud.

No resting on their laurels for that dynamic duo of folk, multi-instrumentalists Steve Knightley and Phil Beer bring home the bacon once again with a superbly crafted album that is positively crackling with great material. Now joined at the hip by bass player and vocalist Miranda Sykes, Show Of Hands well structured finger-wagging title track particularly at the fat-cats from London and beyond is the voice of reason for a Nation sick to the back teeth of rip-off bankers. Raking over coals in much the same way the Battlefield Band did with their diamond encrusted Zama Zama release a short while ago, Steve and Phil certainly know how to have a pop and in much the same way as Peter, Paul and Mary, Tom Paxton and Bob Dylan did years before them the protestations of folk music can certainly make itself heard above a lot of the crass drivel expounded on the airwaves today (did anyone watch the Mercury awards?). There is a darker, more gritty edge to this recording than the duo have been recognised for on past offerings and, with a bit of luck (although it might not go down too well in the loftier tiers of our society) this album could seriously make a dent where it needs to. Also added to the already heady mix are guests Mawkin:Causley and Jackie Oates on a stirring Keys Of Canterbury. With an impressive production that strips the musicians to their organic acoustic roots Stu Hanna (one half of Megson) will gain much kudos from the recording business and undoubtedly has a bright future ahead of him. To complete the package Id like to credit in despatches the terrific artwork and design by the team at Stylorouge.

PETE FYFE