In the grim winter, whilst working on pal’s smallholding, I found something in the dirt: A toy plastic miniature archaeopteryx. It looked more like an immortal phoenix, despite being a mass-produced plaything. It was a resurrection of an extinct creature who roamed the Earth thirty million years ago; It was a small, inaccurate copy of an ancient creature.

I grew up in postmodern england (with a little ‘e’), amongst the fragments and unacknowledged remnants of mixed culture;
Forgotten religion. discarded heritage. Post-war mass amnesia. Rapid changes in identity and social function. A jumble. I partook often in merely remembered imitations of past traditions…
But to find even a discarded imitation is to find some link to the past.
Maybe I am like that archaeopteryx (which means ‘Old Wing’).

PS Lí Ban are a group who have – individually and as one – been a revelation, an education, and an inspiration for me and many others.…. They really are some of the warmest-hearted musicians I have ever met, and the best players anyone will find today.
Here is a link to their music: lban.bandcamp.com
(And here is a link to Lí Ban member Ríoghnach Connolly’s contemporary songwriting duo’s music thebreathmusic.bandcamp.com/music)

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Credits

All music played, recorded and produced by roo
Songs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are written by roo
and song 7 is a traditional Scottish song
Please click on any of the songs individually for more details

Album photo and image design, and other photographs by roo

[roo sang, and played guitar, banjo, accordion, and wooden flute]

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If you navigate to Bandcamp, hover over the song titles, and click on ‘lyrics’ of each song individually, you will find not only the lyrics but also some more information about the song.

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Released: March 25, 2025

License: All Rights Reserved