Stornoway have always infused their songs with references to nature, largely thanks to lead singer Brian Briggs's degree in ornithology. Bonxie, the Oxford folk-pop troupe's third album, is named for the great skua, a Hebridean sea bird.
The album begins and ends with birdsong, but what’s in between is mostly harmonious, too. Briggs’s quirky vocal is engaging, even if his lyrics tend to err on the sickly side of sentimentality.
Apart from the gorgeous Josephine, multi-part harmonies feature less prominently here, but cautious experimentation comes good on Get Low, while the dreamy guitars on Heart of the Great Alone are almost Pink Floydian.
It all makes for pleasant listening, but Stornoway still seem like a good band with some great songs, rather than simply a great band.
