Brown Wimpenny's debut album 'Long Live Brown Wimpenny' is an unapologetic love letter to the UK folk scene's untamed spirit. Born in Manchester's living room, this rambunctious collective has crafted eight tracks that burst with energy and raw emotion. And it's no coincidence they're named after a 19th-century ancestor who made the bold move from a West Yorkshire farm to the US – Brown Wimpenny are carrying on that pioneering tradition.
Music critic Jude Rogers praises the album's opening salvo, a foot-stomping medley that soars from an atmospheric fiddle-led instrumental over a thumping cello drone. The Sheffield Grinder/Black Joak is another standout, weaving together a northern industrial ballad and a cheeky London broadside with unbridled enthusiasm. But will their deliberate rough edges prove to be a double-edged sword – elevating the music or muddying its waters?
When Brown Wimpenny dial down the intensity and let the melodies breathe, magic happens. The opening passages of 'Raglan Road' are pure poetry, while the final minutes of 'Jesus at Thy Command' leave you breathless. And then there's 'Old Molly Metcalfe', which gets a rousing intro from Yorkshire chansonnier Jake Thackray and erupts into a sonic storm that'll leave your heart pounding.