Fanny Adams EP by The Memory Band (7

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Never apparently one to hurry things, Stephen Cracknell made one mini-LP as Gorodisch in some four years of existence before apparently mutating himself into the Memory Band (with the addition of Adem from Fridge as well as others). The Memory Band have so far released two vinyl only limited edition 7 inches. Strange motives must move the man - partly because the Memory Band sound very much like Gorodisch, and partly because if they keep in making music this wonderful they really ought to be hugely successful, but it seems they don't want to be.
For those who missed Gorodisch's splendid "Thurn und Taxis" from 2001, the Memory Band's sound is more of those folk-influenced picked and strummed acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars, mixed with simple, winding and plaintive string lines and some lush beats. The difference is that the Memory Band have much more of a live sound, this ep sounding like it was recorded in one take. They sound like Four Tet, unwound and unplugged, or a denser version of James Yorkston. "Fanny Adams" apparently takes its naggingly familiar melody from The Child's Book Of English And Scottish Ballads, while standout track "Catch as Catch Can" is supposed to suggest "West Coast guitar legend Gabor Szabo's classic records on the Impulse label". I'm afraid I know nothing about Gabor Szabo, but if the records are as good as this then they must be worth discovering. "Ploughshares" was apparently composed around recordings of political speeches earlier in 2003, but then the speeches were removed to leave only the music that they suggested. It also manages the extremely tricky feat of having a recorder solo without bringing back traumatic memories of playing "Frere Jacques" at junior school Four tracks, each only just making the three minute mark. I'd love more, but if this is all there's going to be for the next couple of years, then it's more than enough.