I'm struggling to think of another band around at the moment who deliver a musical package which encompasses so many disparate musical forms under the broadest of folk banners - traditional acappella shanties, folk rock, luscious pop simplicity and standard rock, all so seamlessly meshed together that it's almost impossible to notice the join. All pour forth in an endless stream of energy and creativity, which every so often remind the listener of the band's Newfoundland heritage and seafaring traditions.

Whether drawing on the tradition, or reliant on their own songwriting, Great Big Sea sure know how to deliver a good tune, that sooner or later will have you singing along. All neatly contemporised and expressively delivered, they make it sound so effortless and so irresistible, that it's difficult to single out a single item for specific praise. I won't even try.

Chris Benyon