Keen FFS readers will remember that last time we talked about Birmingham duo Malpas we compared them to a pint of bacon-flavoured beer. The strange-brew analogy is one we stick by wholeheartedly – and like all good brewers, Malpas have been refining their recipe to create an ever tastier concoction. Any attempt to describe the ingredients that go into ‘Charlemagne’ – the blend of acoustic and electronica which is already the band’s trademark – risks failing to do the music justice, because the key to its success is that it’s all in service of the most intoxicating melody and harmony. By mixing elements that don’t normally go together Malpas in theory risk alienating both ends of the musical spectrum – in reality, such is the quality of their output, it’s hard to imagine a music fan they wouldn’t appeal to. ‘Charlemagne’ is taken from the Promise EP, released on September 23.
New folk music recommendations
