The Quireboys: St Cecilia And The Gypsy Soul

Yet more of what you’ll fancy.

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Grandmasters of bad timing, UK blues rockers The Quireboys changed their name from The Queerboys and stepped into the upper reaches of the album charts with their 1990 debut A Bit Of What You Fancy just as the grunge juggernaut turned bandana rock to roadkill.

For much of the 90s it seemed The Quireboys would be remembered as the birthplace of Ginger Wildheart, but a 2002 reunion has coasted on the enduring fondness for Black Crowes bar-rock.

Though singer Spike’s voice sounds virtually rotted through these days, their ninth album St Cecelia… is a fine, if stoically unevolved, example – Gracie B and Out Of Your Mind are all whiskey-sodden piano and slide guitar, while Land Of My Father and St Cecilia strut with prime Stones sass and Adaline does a convincing E Street shuffle. A throwback, but confidently pitched./o:p

Mark Beaumont

Mark Beaumont is a music journalist with almost three decades' experience writing for publications including Classic Rock, NME, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Times, Uncut and Melody Maker. He has written major biographies on Muse, Jay-Z, The Killers, Kanye West and Bon Iver and his debut novel [6666666666] is available on Kindle.