Changed Days, Same Roots

Changed Days, Same Roots finds the always-adventurous Poozies melding their native U.K. folk tradition with chillier sounds from Scandinavia, as well as modern folk and country influences. Like the best folk music, Changed Days invites the listener into the players' circle with revealing anecdotes about the songs chosen, and the paths by which each piece found the Poozies. The energetic "Daniel's Potatoes," for example, contains components of three different reels and stories, while "All I Want" was inspired by a Rosanne Cash reading of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," and features an absolutely heartbreaking lead vocal by Eilidh Shaw. The Poozies graciously include a rundown of instruments for each track; this is immensely helpful, as the group's prominent use of electro-harp, various accordions, fiddles, and something called the metal-strung clarsach makes detailed liner notes important and entertaining. Changed Days, Same Roots is masterfully sequenced, and quite strong throughout. Still, besides the poignant, haunting "All I Want," its best moments might be its biggest departures. "Rosa" is a traditional number from Poland, delivered here almost exclusively as a vocal (an electro-harp does add some subtle color towards the end). Elsewhere, "Tam" and "Lila" are each rooted in Sweden, and do seem to cool the group's normally robust folk with more solitary harp lines. Overall, an intriguing, inviting, even educational disc.