As we’re all well aware by now, the 10,000 Maniacs is a United States-based alternative rock band, which formed in 1981 and continues to be active with various line-ups. Having risen quickly to the top of that alternative rock tree with multi-platinum selling albums and unforgettable singles such as ‘These Are The Days,’ this current line-up for 10,000 Maniacs has been together since 2008.

Today, here on their brand new album, Twice Told Tales, we have a full-length collection of traditional British Isles folk songs. No longer with Natalie Merchant as lead female vocalist, that wasn’t the only major change in recording a new record for the popular band.

Using Pledge.com, the crowd funding website, by making a monetary pledge, amongst other things you could have become an actual collaborator on this delightful album. Indeed, more than that, you could have bid to become one of their executive producers! By making a pledge you got exclusive access to a seat at the table where you could listen, observe, comment and interact with the band and their Pledge online community as the band recreate the music that inspired them - and became an essential component of what became the 10,000 Maniacs sound.

The CD begins with the violin-rousing ‘Lady Mary Ramsay I, ‘ before Mary Ramsey herself brings us her lush, crisp voice on the vocal-only ‘The Song Of Wandering Aengus,’ The whole gang kicks in for ‘She Moved Through The Air,’ a track that allows Dennis Drew (keyboards), Steven Gustafson (bass guitar), Jerome Augustinian (drums & percussion), and Jeff Erickson (guitars & vocals) to accompany Ramsey.

The buoyant ‘Dark Eyed Sailor’ is next, and is backed by the fun, bouncy ‘Misty Moisty Monring,’ with that being followed by the more traditional ‘Bonny May,’ and then a song that sounds so much like Merchant could herself be singing it, ‘Canadee-I-O.’ Next up is ‘Do You Love An Apple?’, the haunting ‘Greenwood Sidey,’ and then a more upbeat ‘Carrickfergus.’ The beautiful Viola work from Ramsay opens ‘Death Of Queen Jane,’ which is backed by the delightfully flowing 'Wild Mountain Thyme.' The album is then closed out by both the jig flourish 'Marie's Wedding' and the instrumental reprise to the opener, although mysteriously spelt differently, 'Lady Mary Ramsey II.'