Mushroom

The only album ever issued by this Dublin ensemble appeared in 1973 under the title Early One Morning.... and offered a distinctive independent variation on the folk-rock sound prevalent across the British Isles during the opening years of that decade. Although it drew substantially from the method of electrifying traditional Celtic folk music first established by Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, the recording incorporated greater doses of psychedelic, progressive, and pop elements than was typical among comparable acts. Traditional textures came via violin, tin whistle, harpsichord, recorder, and bodhran, while the overall settings proved versatile by including organ, electric mandolin, and even Moog synthesizer. Material and production alike carried a certain innocence, yet the compositions held up well by mixing vigorous electrified folk numbers with more reflective and subdued ballads. Around the same era Mushroom put out additional cuts as singles, but the band never entered the studio again, leaving the LP as a prized rarity that has fetched several hundred pounds on the collectors' market.