A Few Oats Shy of a Haggis

The album title is a Few Oats Shy of a Haggis, but the Wild Oats are certainly all present and accounted for when it comes to singing a cappella harmonies. Good examples abound, from "New Oysters" to "Ye Mariners All" to their outstanding version of "Gaudete." They do a tuneful job on instrumental accompaniment as well, on both traditional ballads such as "I'll Tell Me Ma" and "Whiskey in the Jar" to traditional and modern mixes like "The Water is Wide/Avalon's Shore," which offers lovely harmonies, and has good sharing of lead vocals. Nice to hear both male and female vocalists taking turns on lead throughout the album. The Wild Oats' enjoyment of whimsy comes through in "Juan Coffeebean," a fun original parody of the traditional ballad "Little John Barleycorn." "For the business world would grind to a halt/And so would the underground scene/without the little Juan Coffeebean." "Come Kate and Sing" is another modern creation about coffee, though sung with an old style lilt as an a cappella catch in three parts. When it comes to original ballads with a traditional ring to them, the Wild Oats also deliver enjoyably, with "The Selkie Queen," "Mirror" and the lovely celebratory "Wedding Brasle." Traditional songs can take a grim turn, and so listeners to "Boys of Bedlam" will find, in the line "For to cut mince pies from children's thighs." Parents with small ones may want to give this a miss at bedtime. And since the album does contain songs with a parental advisory rating in "Jean de Neville" (though sung in French), that's a factor to be aware of also. Still, bawdy songs are a part of musical tradition, and fans of that sub-genre will appreciate what The Wild Oats do with them. In all, this is a skillful followup to their debut on weed 'em and reap, and one that will please Celtic fans, as well as keep them listening for whatever the Wild Oats release next.