If there had been electric guitars, drums and amplifiers in the Middle Ages, the mainstream music would have sounded like the Trembling Bells. The Scottish band takes as much inspiration from the so-called 'early music' as from the folk rock repertoire of Fairport Convention and The Incredible String Band. With the high-singing Lady Lavinia Blackwell in its ranks, the formation sounds like the
… perfect band to provide the soundtrack to a LARP competition. The leader of the special group is drummer and writer Alex Neilson, who has nice songs in house, so that Trembling Bells does not have to resort to jacking up traditional material. The band also likes to improvise and there is often room for guest musicians. On the fourth album, American singer / songwriter Bonnie 'Prince' Billy is invited to act as Blackwell's counterpart. Together they sing about ten sacred songs with great dedication. It is a pity that their enthusiasm is not supported by a tight and clean band. Trembling Bells sounds dedicated, but also a bit rushed and ignorant. When the gimmick is finished, there is not enough left to charm. Setback! (JE)more