They are influenced by Americana, sing in English, take their name from a character in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, and recorded this engaging acoustic set in the attic of a farmhouse in eastern France. Those still snooty or suspicious about the French music scene should check out Moriarty. In the past, this eclectic band have collaborated with Swiss Cajun exponents Mama Rosin, the great maloya singer Christine Salem from La Réunion, and recorded songs by Woody Guthrie and Doc Watson. This time round they concentrate on their own material, played on guitars, harmonica, banjo and stand-up bass, but always dominated by their cool and impressive French-American singer Rosemary Moriarty (aka Rosemary Standley), who can switch effortlessly from the gutsy country rock of When I Ride to the bluesy History of Violence or the edgy jazz ballad Across From My Window. Classy, clever and fun.
