“Escape” 2019
“Escape captures in glorious technicolour some of the heat and light that is NoCrows”
“…fearless and forever adventurous in their quest for musical expression”
“A glorious melee that lures the listener in from the get-go”
- Irish Times Oct 2019
“When an LP is as finely recorded as this, with such sparkling musicianship, there’s nothing much to do but luxuriate in it…almost a full hour of classy music that takes you here, there and everywhere, evoking a full bag of emotions along the way”
- Hot Press Sept 2019
“…notes and harmonies and counter melodies flying about like acrobats and trapeze artists and fire-breathers all dancing to a finely choreographed frenzy of fun”
- Irish Music Magazine Sept 2019
NoCrows, Why Us
Fifth album from Sligo folk collective
Formed over a decade ago by musicians from Sligo’s impressively diverse music scene, NoCrows embrace Irish traditional, jazz, classical and world music styles in equal measure. The presence of Waterboy Steve Wickham in their ranks has drawn them added attention, but they are a multi-instrumental ensemble outfit, who describe themselves – not inaccurately – as a “folk orchestra”.
Among the highlights of Why Us? are the jaunty Tex-Mex instrumental ‘Can We Borrow The Cat’, the Greek-flavoured ‘The Monk’s Head’ and the jazzy ‘Written In Sand’. Indeed, with its acoustic guitar, mandolin and light percussion, the latter could easily sit alongside Ry Cooder’s work with the Buena Vista Social Club.
Elsewhere, ‘Senor’ is a lush romantic ballad with a lovely string arrangement, while the title track begins as a plaintive, atmospheric instrumental before exploding into life. Rounding out this hugely enjoyable album, meanwhile, is Steve Wickham’s beautifully haunting ‘The Other Side’. Essential listening for trad aficionados.”
PRESS RELEASE NOVEMBER 2016:
NOCROWS – “Why Us?” CD Launch in December 2016
NoCrows is a dynamic folk orchestra from the multicultural melting pot of Sligo’s music scene. Formed in 2005, NoCrows’ growing output of original material reflects its diverse musical roots, from Irish traditional to latin rumba, classical, jazz, rock and Balkan music.
NoCrows celebrates twelve years of its musical journey in 2017 with a fifth CD, entitled “Why Us?”. The CD will be launched at two special Christmas concerts in Dublin and Sligo, followed by an Irish tour in January and February and subsequent international tours to Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Belgium.
The Irish launch dates are:
Monday 19 December 7pm The Steeple Sessions, Unitarian Church, Dublin
Thursday 22 December 7:30pm HMV Soundgarden, Sligo
NoCrows Press Kit
QUOTES
An “irresistibly sparkling collection”… - Colm O’Hare, Hot Press Magazine, May 2014 (Waiting for the Tide review, 2014)
“… a coming of age” - Irish Times (Waiting for the Tide, 2014)
“…oh, what a joy to listen to!” - Irish Music Magazine (Waiting for the Tide, 2014)
‘The four musicians possess an emphatic understanding of each other’s musical nuances and the results are collective alchemy in action. Magpie is a gloriously freewheeling eclectic combination which, like NoCrows, defies classification’
- John O’Regan, Roots
‘You can sense the pleasure they find in each other’s playing’
- Joe Breen, The Irish Times
‘Swing rarely felt this good’
- Siobhán Long, The Irish Times
‘If No Crows lived in London, they’d be famous by now’
- Geoff Wallis,Irish Music Review.com