While commercial -- even slick -- traditional English music seems oxymoronic, it's somehow an apt description for
the Oyster Band's Step Outside; after all, the record kicks off with a rock version of the traditional "Hal-an-Tow." But despite the gloss, the majority of the album stays true to the traditional spirit, and the contemporary production brings a modern vantage to the music's age-old themes. ~ Jason Ankeny