The Freedom Spark - 2005 - a look back

Larrikin Love

The Freedom Spark

(original link - Larrikin Love - The Freedom Spark)

Warner

Released: Sunday 25 September 2005

Larrikin Love seemed to come from nowhere, with no pigeon-hole to associate them with and no particular movement from which to have come from. The Freedom Spark was the only album ever made by the band and it provided its fans with much excitement and hours of re-playability.

Looking back, the band was very raw and unpolished. There videos were genius and funny but chaotic, messy and low-budget.

Despite being their first album and one of innocence, it is not completely naive and the lyrical quality is up there with big William Wordsworth. They talk about politics in Downing Street Kindling in a determined way. They will not accept England's mundanity anymore. Every syllable resonates and alliteration abounds, like in the song Downing Street Kindling, 'I would sleep on sheets of satin and eat my cigarettes'. It is all joyful stuff and you are left wondering how Edward Larrikin managed to put such great lyrics in to such unbounded and emotive songs. You might say that great lyrics ensure a great song but the arts of poetry and song lie on very different plains.

Some try to define Larrikin Love as Bluegrass or Thamesbeat, whatever that is. I would say they write like a Victorian band that can see the future. They have a poetic but free way of expressing their young dreams and irks. What I am trying to say is that this album sounds like five very talented young musicians and wordsmiths dancing around joyfully whilst belting out songs of freedom and adventure.

The Freedom Spark is refreshing in that most of its songs do not seem to be about romantic issues. You can listen to the album and just enjoy it, not having to be reminded of past relationships gone wrong. And it really is an uplifting piece of Ed Larrikin genius. It is sad that Larrikin Love had to come to an end. Of course, Edward has ventured in to a solo career with The Pan I am but that has not gone so well commercially.

Larrikin Love might be gone but their music still remains and their efforts did not lack impact on the scene around them. Since Larrikin, the once desperately unfashionable Folk image has gained acceptance and allowed artists, such as Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling to flourish in the UK charts.