Uprooting is Warsaw Village Band's follow up to People's Spring.  This new recording possesses the same bombastic vocals, frenzied fiddles and primal drums as its predecessor and the young Polish ensemble has certainly been turning the music industry on its ears.  Both People's Spring and Uprooting portray a musical crossroads where old world themes and traditions and contemporary music meet.  Although, this sextet, (which includes three male and three female musicians marrying instincts with powerhouse musicianship, not to mention youthful bravado), brings in a live dub and live scratch, they have not transformed their traditional music into the rave hit of the week.  That's not to say that ravers wouldn't find these primal beats enticing, but to say that the ensemble has enough sense to retain the integrity of these Polish folk songs.

Similar to the Spanish ensemble Ojos de Brujo, these musicians prove that traditional music doesn't need a complete overhaul in order to attract an audience.  Numerous musicians face the dilemma of blending modern influences while preserving fading traditions.  It is a fine line to walk without tilting the scales one way or the other and Warsaw Village Band has not only maintained their balance, but these musicians have managed to put Polish folk music back on the world music map.  And they do this with so much fervor.  They bring in traditional musicians from varying regions of Poland.  Lipse Women's Choir, the traditional folk band, Marian Pelka Band and Janina and Kazimierz Zdrzalik appear as guests on this haunting album.  At times it feels like a field recording meets modern traditional.

The musicians which are featured on dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, knee-violin, cello and various drums also sing in a style called "white voice" which the press notes call, "near screams."  And these white voices are layered upon each other creating lush vocal harmonies that recall traditional Finnish runo-song or perhaps something you would find in primeval Swedish music.  When the musicians describe the music that appears here they use words like, ecstatic trance and atavistic.  A lot of musicians these days claim to work with shamans or create shamanic trance music and for the most part, these words are often used erroneously.  However, WVB's music does border on shamanism and this coming from someone who practices shamanism.

For instance, take a listen to The Owl with its hypnotic vocals and spellbinding drums.  Similar to other tracks on the CD, this one speaks of love or love gone bad.  The owl in this song comes to warn a young woman not to become involved with a man.  The woman doesn't follow the owl's advice and she suffers the consequences.  Other track descriptions mention eroticism and love, but it would help to know the Polish language to grasps the poetry here.  Grey Horse features cellist Maja Kleszcz on vocals.  On this track she doesn't sing in the white voice style, but in a husky alto voice and with beautiful nuances.  Besides love songs, you will also find an anti-war song, When Johnny Went to Fight in The War and a song warning the elite to treat their workers right or beware of consequences, I've Slayed the Rye.  There are a lot of compelling songs and intriguing arrangements on this recording and it takes a few listens to absorb, however your efforts will richly be rewarded.  World Village 

PLH