Monsieur Doumani are a young trio from Nicosia whose updating of Greek Cypriot folk styles has brought them an international following. They will be back in the UK at the end of May, helped by this second album that mixes traditional themes with new songs, politics, unexpected arrangements, slick musicianship and a welcome sense of fun. It starts in almost conventional style, with cheerful and elegant melodies played on the bouzouki-like tzouras and guitar, but with quirky trombone lines. Then they begin to experiment. A song that translates as The Suitcase matches slinky, breathy vocals against sudden wailing bursts of brass and “electroacoustic manipulation”, while the title track reworks a sturdy folk melody with impressive three-part harmonies and wailing tzouras riffs. The new lyrics apparently deal with their country’s economic crisis.
• This article was amended on 30 March 2015. The original article incorrectly stated that this album did not have a translation
