Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Having established the group, over two previous albums, as rough’n’ready urban inheritors of a rural folk-blues tradition – sort of an Americana Pogues – Boggs’ principal songwriter Jason Friedmansidelined the band, following 2003’s Stitches.
Recorded intermittently over the intervening years, Forts suggests his eye may have been off the ball too long: instead of the gritty enthusiasm of those early records, it seems smug and unfocused.
Not only are Friedman’s lyrics mired in the kind of selfregarding autobiographical dialogues that not even his mum would find interesting, but he pointlessly re-invents a series of pop wheels, from Glitterband stomp (“Arm In Arm”) to Fall grind (“Bookends”) and acoustic Clash thrash (“Melanie In The White Coat”).
A baffling disappointment.
To order any CD previewed here, call the Independent Music Service on 01634 832 789.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments