Tenpole Tudor falters somewhat on their second album,
Let the Four Winds Blow, partially in a wish to expand their musical reach. Instead of relying on the boozy, punky pub rock that dominated their debut, the band attempts to claim funk, musichall, pop, and country as their own, with mixed results. The record starts off with a great one-two punch of the title track and the ridiculous "Throwing My Baby Out With the Bathwater" before it quickly runs out of steam, making clear that the real problem with the record isn't patchy songwriting -- the debut had that flaw as well -- but a tamer performance, and when they play it calm,
Tenpole Tudor isn't quite as endearing as when they rock out. Still, there's just enough good tracks to make the record necessary for the devoted, but without the relentlessly goofy and catchy appeal of Eddie, Old Bob, Dick & Gary,
Let the Four Winds Blow simply won't be able to convert the uninitiated. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine