Exposé print issues (1993-2011)
Dr. Strangely Strange — Anti-Inflammatory
(Bandcamp Think Like a Key TLAK1197, 2025, CD / DL)
by Henry Schneider, Published 2025-05-25
Dr. Strangely Strange is an Irish folk-rock band dating back to 1967, founded by Tim Booth and Ivan Pawle, who then teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Tim Goulding. They have been active 1967–1971, 1973–early-80s, 1996 (small reunion), and 2007–present. They have released their first album, Kip of the Serenes (1969), their second Heavy Petting (1970), and a third, Alternative Medicine (1997). Not a very prolific band, though a set of unreleased tracks appeared on Halcyon Days (2007) and a BBC broadcast recording Radio Sessions (2022) have filled in some gaps. Now 28 years after their last studio album, they return with a new album called Anti-Inflammatory, with the three original members plus their 'new' member Joe Thoma (who's only been playing fiddle and mandolin with them since 1980). On a par with contemporaries Incredible String Band and Tír na nÓg, Dr. Strangely Strange were more of a cult band, especially with their quirky debut album Kip of the Serenes. Now in their early 80s, the Strangelies are more familiar with the benefits of ant-inflammatories, hence the album title. Recorded in a Clonakilty studio under the watchful eye of producer Brian Casey, Anti-Inflammatory is a set of ten tracks spanning 31 minutes, with three instrumentals and seven songs. The instrumentals “Sulán,” “Morning Song,” and “Vienna” are delightful, with the maudlin “Morning Song” conjuring images of a group of old souls reminiscing in a pub. The songs present a mixture of ones hearkening back to their early days, especially “Baby Bunting” with its Bo Diddley rhythm and sounding like an overlooked Kip of the Serenes song. The standout track for me is “Murmuration,” an acoustic ballad to wintertime with a bit of their signature quirkiness and fluttering pipes. Anti-Inflammatory is another chapter in the Dr. Strangely Strange story, it is just too bad that it took 28 years to produce.
Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases
Related artist(s): Dr. Strangely Strange
More info
http://drstrangelystrange.bandcamp.com/album/anti-inflammatory
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