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***Boiled in Lead

SONGS FROM THE GYPSY

(Omnium)

Composed by vocalist/guitarist Adam Stemple and collaborator Steven Brust, this disc is an acoustic turn for a folk-rock band noted for intensely electrifying (and amplifying) both Irish and world-music styles. This concept album, inspired by a book co-authored by Brust, still offers patented BiL eclecticism, but from song to song rather than within them. Witness the variance from the traditional folk of "No Passenger" to the gritty acoustic blues of "Hide My Track," with its funky bass punctuation, to the dancing Hungarian melody of "Urgos (Springtime)," a good showcase for Boston fiddler Josef Kessler. Throughout "Gypsy," Kessler's fiddle soars, squeals, and serenades. Stempel's guitars soothe and snarl, and drummer Robin Anders and bassist Drew Miller never fail to provide a solid rhythmic foundation. Proudly skirting categorization, BiL are superior musicians. (Write to Omnium Recordings, Box 7367, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407.)

- Bryan Reesman

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