Rambunctious foot-stomping songs come together in a French verse vs English verse type shanty battle. Full of historical repertoire, boisterous repartee, and steeped in seafaring lore. Wellington Sea Shanty Society, a musical entity comprising of vocalist/guitar Lake “Davineer” McKenna, vocalist/squeeze boxer Vorn “Dont Le Père Etait Marin” Colgan and fiddler Su Keates, entertain with an energetic rework of hearty classic shanty tunes and interesting nautical tales.

Recorded at Studios Musique Cour et Jardin, Vertou in France, with the aid of four-piece French band Croche Dedans, this 11-track album of exuberant sea shanties feels to have been created with rowdy crowd participation in mind. ‘Ahoy’ launches into a rollicking good time with Drunken Sailor / Quand Le Marin Est Saoul, which is an excellent indicator to the bold and animated tone of the album. The lively harmonies, accompanied by spirited squeezebox and invigorating fiddle take the listener on a buoyant journey of cross-cultural maritime tradition.

Wellington Sea Shanty Society and Croche Deans have together created a dynamic and entertaining album. Exuberant, cheerful, catchy and overflowing with effervescence. Joyous sing-along songs delivered with infectious enthusiasm. Not for faint-hearted landlubbers perhaps, but for others ‘Ahoy’ is a guaranteed rip-roaring, rousing good time.