Are you a medieval buff? Do you enjoy traditional folk songs based in the medieval era of England? If you answered yes to either of these questions then you’re probably already familiar with the work of Jim Causley and folk band Mawkin. If you answered no then please, read on.

Mawkin:Causley is a collaborative effort made up of Jim Causley and Mawkin. The group’s latest effort is “The Awkward Recruit.” First and foremost this album seems a little weird to me. A title like “The Awkward Recruit” seems ultra-fitting; the album truthfully is awkward. Personally, I can’t relate to a single song on the entire album and I’m sure very few on this side of the pond [USA] can either. With that being said I decided to put myself in the shoes of an Englishman who is emotionally connected to this stuff. I put myself in the shoes of an English countryman from an area steeped in medieval tradition and folklore; someone who has been raised with this type of music engrained in their culture and in the tradition of their region. After I did that, “The Awkward Recruit” started to make more sense.

Most of the tracks are new renditions of classic Devonshire Folk songs. ‘Todos Los Bienes Del Mundo’ (all of the world’s wealth) is a purely instrumental tune which dates back to the year 1469. ‘Cropper Lads’ was originally written in 1811. Surprisingly the catchiest song 'The Awkward Recruit' is an original tune whilst ‘Greenlander’ was written by Barrie Temple. From the album cover describing this song we learn, “It tells the story of the Greenlanders; those ultra-hardy men who divided their lives between coal-mining and whaling and were reported to be even scarier than the Keelers!”

The highlight of “The Awkward Recruit” is the musical savvy of Mawkin: Causley. The instrumentation is executed incredibly well throughout the entire album. Even more obscure instruments like the bagpipes are played flawlessly. The band’s talent really shines through. The vocals by Jim Causley aren’t going to win him any X-Factor competitions but he definitely holds his own and sounds good doing what he does. For the most part, “The Awkward Recruit” is pretty boring for a kid like me. However, I’ll give credit where credit is due. Mawkin: Causley has their folk genre down pat.