Fresh off the back of supporting Micah P Hinson on the UK leg of his tour, alternative folk band Buriers come to the stage to headline the Nest Collective’s regular night, hosted in the bustling upstairs room of the Old Queen’s Head in Angel.

They’ve obviously got firm roots in folk music, but it’s clear from the off that Buriers draw their influences from a wide pool of genres; the cello and violin backing bring a classical feel, yet as a tribal drum beat kicks in and front man James P Honey begins his unusual mix of spoken word and singing, the effect is quite arresting. This is not the introspective navel gazing of traditional folk, nor the derivative pop inspired leanings made so popular recently by the likes of Mumford and Sons.

Honey’s rich, round voice gives the music something of a dark edge, and at times his spoken word rants are more akin to East London rap, bringing a raw energy to the melancholy melodies of the strings. Lyrically dealing with issues such as war and the vastness of the universe, Buriers sound is certainly unique and it’s nice to see people bringing something different to the Folk scene.

Burier’s single ‘Dim Half Light’ was released in April, and is available for free digital download here.