Singing Loins: Songs To Hear Before You Die “Sure beats the shit outta the Pogues.”
Everett True – MELODY MAKER

For a fellow known to randomly go off on a tangent from time to time, The latest release from The Singing Loins, “Songs To Hear Before You Die” has left me utterly speechless. It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s raw, it’s authentic, it’s also one of the most complete albums I have heard in recent years! Trust me, I’ve had this album for a couple months now, and I honestly had to calm down before I could even attempt to review it. Sure you could mention this as a candidate for album of the year, but I personally think “Songs To Hear Before You Die” is so timeless, it’s shouldn’t matter what bloody year it is. Their sound has that acoustic grit most bands would kill for. Real folk music. True busking troubadours, The Singing Loins play the type of folk music that leaves a ring in your tub after a bath. Skiffle with soul, so to speak…

The Singing Loins are not a new band, in fact they formed in Medway, England around late 1990. Soon they had Billy Childish in their corner ready to produce an LP. After releasing a about a half dozen albums on Hangman Records, The Singing Loins called it quits. (Lucky for me, a couple years later, The Dolomites recorded The Singing Loins song “Hauling In The Slack” on their “Hogshead Of Whisky” album.)

In 2004, the lads, (Chris Broderick & Arfur Allen) reformed, and released the 49 track compilation “The Complete & Utter Singing Loins” Containing all the previously released material they recorded for Hangman, these recordings are re-mastered from the production dats that were made from the original masters. In 2005, they released ‘Songs To Hear Before You Die” containing all new material.

Even though the entire album is flawless, the stand out tracks for me are:
Skinner’s Rats
Low November Sun
The Pub On The Corner

A true classic. Simply put

2006

Review by: Brian Gillespie