Mike Wilson's Music Blog

ALBUM REVIEW - Christy Moore - 'Folk Tale'

2011-12-13T20:21:00.002Z

Christy Moore - Folk Tale (Sony Music Ireland)

It's quite possible that there couldn't be a more fitting title for this album, and not just because it's the title of one of the songs contained therein. Christy can legitimately lay claim to being the epitome of the living, breathing folk 'process'; indeed, one of the most rewarding aspects of following his career is the way in which his material morphs and reinvents to suit the occasion, be it the musicians he's playing with, the audience to which he is playing on any given night, or the more substantial reordering that arises from the growing wisdom and perception that is amassed as the years pass by. It's this very aspect that distinguishes Folk Tale as something that little bit more special: it's a snapshot of where Christy is right now, the continued story of the songs he's carried along with him, alongside the new chapters that reinvigorate and fortify his voyage.

Two particular highlights find Christy furnishing songs of tragedy with a genuine compassion, whilst avoiding any hint of mawkish sentimentality. Kevin Littlewood's "On Morecambe Bay" thoughtfully observes the fate of illegal immigrant cockle pickers, lost to the deadly tides. The narrative is remarkably evocative for placing the workers firmly amongst the local community, with the writer seemingly expressing a sense of collective guilt for being aware of their plight, but failing to intervene and warn of the treacherous dangers out on the sands. "Haiti" takes a more global view, with it's clarion call to a nation to rise up and "smile again" in the wake of the harrowing earthquake that decimated the country. The contemplative manner with which Christy approaches these songs probably gives voice and emotion to many who witnessed these events from afar.

Several pieces from Christy's 1996 album, Graffiti Tongue, receive a more circumspect reworking, seemingly holding at bay some of the anger that permeated the original recordings in favour of more considered readings that are no less disarming. In particular "God Woman" basks in a genuine feeling of warmth, whilst the title track benefits from a more reserved, melodic approach that somehow makes the romance of the story much more compelling.

Folk Tale also reminds us of Christy's keen sense of humour. "My Little Honda 50" is a light-hearted ditty, on the face of it a quirky tribute to a an even quirkier form of transport, yet dig beneath the skin and it's a fond recollection of simple times and simpler pleasures. "Weekend In Amsterdam" is a more raucous affair, with some lyrics that I daren't even repeat within these pages!

Harking back to his days with Planxty, "Farmer Michael Hayes" is recast in a more sparse arrangement, delivered at a slightly more measured pace, proving more reflective than the hearty rebelliousness of the original Planxty recording, largely owing to the greater depth and maturity that age has bestowed on Christy's voice.

Drawing together the disparate threads of artistry that inspire and nourish his life, Folk Tale draws from a rich palette taking in poetry, politics, humour and tragedy. It's a collection that is no doubt richer for the accomplished production skills and sympathetic musicianship of the doggedly talented Declan Sinnott, but it's most certainly Christy's heart that beats strong throughout.

http://www.christymoore.com/

ALBUM REVIEW: Mary Black - 'Stories From The Steeples'

2011-11-29T20:21:00.001Z

Mary Black - Stories From the Steeples(3ú Records / Blix Street Records)

This is the first studio recording fromMary Black in six years, and it's a collection that demonstrates anartist in full command of her bewitching vocal prowess. Throughout animpressive career, Mary has consistently demonstrated impeccabletaste in her choice of material, and the evidence presented heresuggests that her ear for seeking out songs of utmost grace andbeauty is as keen as ever. With a voice that has only gained in depthand resonance over the years, Mary brings her trademark warmth andsincerity, casting light and shade amongst the lyrics to create herown personal space amongst the words of carefully chosen songwriters.Never one to rest on her laurels, we're gifted songs from familiarfriends such as Shane Howard, Eric Bogle and Julie Matthews,alongside burgeoning writing talents, including Danny O'Reilly andRicky Lynch.

Sharing the stage with a number ofguests, Stories From The Steeples contains three duets: the beguiling"Lighthouse Light" features Janis Ian in a perfectlybalanced performance that whets the appetite for further explorationof this winsome partnership; the robust, soulful voice of Imelda Mayjoins Mary on an affirmative song of place and belonging, "MountainsTo The Sea"; and the playful "Walking With My Love"finds Mary exchanging lines with the legendary Finbar Furey. Allthree performances are notable for their palpable sense of modestyand mutual admiration.

Two stand-out tracks come fromparticularly close to home, being written by Mary's son, DannyO'Reilly. "Faith In Fate" paints a stark contrast betweenthe sheer despair of a broken relationship with a determinedhopefulness to move on and patch things up. Managing to besimultaneously bleak and uplifting with its heady infusion of hurtand devoted affection, it's a song that plays to all the strengths ofMary's typically emotion-wrought interpretation. Offering a similarcocktail of emotions, "Wizard of Oz" is a mournfulreflection on the search for strength and happiness, underpinned by adreamy string arrangement over which Mary lays her heartwarmingvocals.

Fulfilling the role of storyteller,Mary excels in bringing lifelike colour to the characters of"Marguerite And The Gambler," a Ricky Lynch song thatrecounts the familiar tale of many a traditional folk ballad, withits gamblers, true love, misguided familial intervention, heartbreakand devastation. Those purchasing the extended version of the albumare handsomely rewarded with an exquisite reading of Chris Woods'"One In A Million," a story of true love that takes themundanities of life and turns it in to utter magic, and provingbeyond any doubt that Mary remains a song's best friend.

Paul Kelly's "They Thought I WasAsleep" benefits from a tender reading, cloaked in Mary'strademark warmth, depicting the torment of a child inadvertentlywitnessing from the back seat of a car, the emotional breakdown ofhis parents' relationship. Equally devastating, though of more epicproportions, Eric Bogle's "All the Fine Young Men" is madeall the more disarming, thanks to the sheer reverence with which Maryfurnishes this stark, anti-war anthem.

With a little less polish than some ofher earlier releases, Stories From The Steeples steps forward as anintimate, unpretentious collection, bathed in a soft but radiant glowof effortlessness and wholehearted integrity. Time will tell, butStories From The Steeples may well prove to be Mary's best yet.

www.mary-black.net

ALBUM REVIEW: Gareth Davies-Jones- 'Chasing Light'

2011-04-11T20:35:00.000+01:00

Gareth Davies-Jones, Chasing Light (Heading West Music, 2011)

Gareth Davies-Jones wastes no time with this follow up to 2008's thoroughly captivating "Water & Light". In many respects, it's business as usual here; but when your usual business is this good you're unlikely to rock the boat. Borrowing from the folk vernacular, married with great skill to soaring pop-laden hooks, "Chasing Light" maintains a steady grasp of humanity and nature, reinforced by an astute compassion-filled lyricism. A potent sensitivity flows through the album, courtesy of Gareth's gentle, soothing vibrato, lending a fragility that belies his confidently executed vocals.

Opening the album, "The Fields" conjures up imagery of filmic proportions, harnessing the forces of nature as a cypher for the tribulations of life and love, within a capacious arrangement that really allows you to experience a sense of escape in the lyrics. Pouring scorn on the world's more materialistic woes, and in particular the media's overhyped reaction, Gareth almost gets angry on "Headlines," but instead opts for a more derisive angle on the seemingly endless stream of bad news that accompanied the world financial crisis, bemoaning the seemingly helpless spiral of despair that ensued.

Elsewhere there is a shift to a more introspective focus; an environment where the gentler tones of Gareth's voice are particularly adept at flooding the lyrics with an intuitively emotive empathy. Whether it's on the traditional paean to his homeland, "Sweet Portaferry," taking a more global view of a divided world on "Berlin To Bethlehem," or the intimate profession of unconditional love that fills "Character," there is an unrelenting gravity that pulls you towards the very heart of the sentiments that are teased out through both the lyrics themselves, and more importantly the flawless integrity with which they are delivered.

The muscular musing of "Troubador" provides an honest account of life as a working musician, resigning oneself to the weariness of travel, whilst recognising the opportunity to broaden one's horizons through the sharing of songs and stories. Similarly powerful is "PQ17," the story of a World War 2 supply convoy, facing the perils of enemy forces whilst crossing the Arctic Ocean; these exquisitely written lyrical history lessons are fast becoming a calling card for Gareth.

Two further traditional songs receive a reworking, with very different results: "Reilly" is reborn as a punchy, rhythm-driven pop effort, whilst "Rover Of The Sea" is interpreted as a dreamy, acoustic ballad. With endeavours like this, the hand of folk can truly reach out to touch the heart of many, with the perpetual relevance of the lyrics furnished with arrangements that contain a genuine appeal to the more contemporary ear.

There really are few writers and performers who consistently perform to the standard exhibited throughout "Chasing Light," a recording that manages to achieve genuinely broad appeal, whilst keeping the sentiments of the writer so manifestly intact. Gareth Davies-Jones is big news; it's only a matter of time before everybody starts waking up to this fact.

http://www.garethdavies-jones.com/

An Interview with Krista Detor

2011-03-25T23:16:00.002Z

I've written a feature about the Indiana-based singer-songwriter, Krista Detor, that you can read on Folk Radio UK. Krista talks about how she came to be a songwriter, how the writing process works for her, and her involvement in the 2009 Darwin Song Project. Krista has also provided a couple of demo tracks exclusively for Folk Radio UK, that you can listen to at the bottom of the article.

While many songwriters prefer to keep their art shrouded in mystery, Krista is extremely generous in describing the very personal nature of how she goes about her craft: ‘Writing is a very solitary thing for me, I’m by myself all the time if I’m writing. I need to know there’s a space in front of me, that nobody will be walking through the door, nobody will be calling me, that there will be no interruption. There has to be extreme solitude. The writing process is an extremely visual thing for me; even if it’s a line from a poem that inspires me, I’ll see it in a three-dimensional way.’

ALBUM REVIEW: Doghouse Roses- 'This Broken Key'

2011-02-06T10:00:00.003Z

Doghouse Roses, This Broken Key (Yellowroom Music, 2010)

This Broken Key is the second full album release from the distinctive Glasgow-based duo, Doghouse Roses. Most marked about this follow-up to their 2008 debut, is an increased confidence, evident not just in the performances themselves but by the manner in which the duo boldly traverse genres and styles, whilst simultaneously leaving their own indelible impression. Musically speaking, This Broken Key finds the duo cementing their place on the musical spectrum amongst the most deserving descendants of the folk-blues boom of the 'sixties and 'seventies, and more importantly it finds the flame lit by their ancestors burning brightly. Whilst accompanied here by several able musicians to give a real 'band' sound at times, the essence of Doghouse Roses remains firmly rooted around the effortless cool of Paul Tasker's guitar, and the sublime modesty of Iona Macdonald's voice. It's a combination of their high regard for the musical inheritance they have claimed as their own, and a canny ability to reinterpret this amongst more contemporary influences that bestows This Broken Key with a strong sense of pedigree.

Opening the album with the sparse, gospel-tinged "Atonement," gives both musicians a chance to demonstrate their wares to best effect: Iona delivering a soulful, sassy vocal, whilst Paul's guitar alternates between jaunty rhythm and precision-picking. Lifting the pace with it's rolling melody and bass-driven groove, "Woodstock" unfolds as a story whose characters carefully negotiate the boundaries of carefree and careless abandon, with a nonchalant vocal performance soaked in charisma.

Jazzy intonations herald the opening of "The Rain" with a lazy bass-line proving the ultimate foil for Paul's crisp guitar and Iona's warm, leisurely vocal. There is a particular flirtatiousness about "Devil In Me," with a seductive vocal delivered over a chic, placid guitar and a rhythm section that trips along nicely.

Finishing with "The Highwayman," the duo present what may be their best writing effort yet, offering a haunting melancholy, with lyrics that appear to seek reconciliation, but ultimately only seem to find stark loneliness. It's a beautifully crafted web of sentiments, expressed in a gentle, poetic language embodying the ubiquitous language of a journey; it could be one of those journeys that bridges the gaps between life's chapters, or indeed the journey of one's entire lifetime.

The ghosts of heroes who have gone before loom large throughout This Broken Key, but the soul of the music is reinvigorated by the talent and dedication of this formidable duo. They share their enthusiasm generously with an intimacy that will win many a heart.

http://www.doghouseroses.org/

ALBUM REVIEW: Brendan Hendry, Paul McSherry & Nodlaig Brolly- 'Stringtones'

2011-01-24T23:26:00.000Z

Brendan Hendry, Paul McSherry & Nodlaig Brolly

Stringtones (self-released, 2010)

Stringtones offers a selective trio of distinguished musicians from Northern Ireland, playing slightly more than a trio of instruments: Brendan Hendry on fiddle, Paul McSherry on guitar and bouzouki, and Nodlaig Brolly on Cláirseach (harp), piano and vocals. I'm of the opinion that where music is concerned, trios always work really well, and my theory is proven well by this crisp and pleasant recording. Ample variety is provided by the three musicians to maintain interest from start to finish, yet there also remains plenty of room to appreciate their plentiful individual talents across a range of traditional and self-penned material.

Raw energy is supplied by the combination of Hendry's fluid fiddle and the supple rhythmic edge of McSherry's guitar and bouzouki, demonstrated to great effect on a number of sets of jigs and reels. A rumbustious set of reels, "The Street Cleaner/McDonagh's/The Bluffer's Guide," races away from the outset, lead by the pulsating pace of Hendry's flirtatious fiddle. "Mick Hendry's/Maisie Hendry's" is a beautiful pairing of two jigs, composed by Hendry for his parents, and striding forward with real purpose, brimming with a knowing sense of pride. The jigs are served particularly well by the rippling undercurrent provided by Brolly's shimmering cláirseach.

Heralding the start of "Deirdre's Lament," the sheer elegance of Brolly's piano is only surpassed by the understated, natural beauty of her voice, as she delivers this achingly gorgeous ballad with Hendry's weeping fiddle heightening the emotions of the story. Brolly similarly demonstrates the haunting lilt of her voice on "An Leanbh Aimhréidh," where the restrained, sparing musical accompaniment turns this compassionate tale into a real delight. A similarly tender treat awaits on "Ceann Dubh Dílis".

A typically beguiling Phil Cunningham composition, "The Tin Hut On Staffin Island," provides a wonderful opportunity for each musician to display their utmost grace as they glide with fluid majesty through this beautiful slow reel. The slow air, "Mrs Jameson's Favourite," scales these heights of alluring composure even further, bearing a sumptuous elixir to sooth the heart and mind.

Stringtones is a genuinely lovely album: devoid of any pretentiousness, but basking in that warm glow that can only be the result of genuine talent and devotion.

http://www.brendanhendry.com/

Favourite Music of 2010

2010-12-31T20:09:00.000Z

In no particular order...

Jakob Dylan: Woman & Country

To call this album downbeat could sound almost dismissive, but it's certainly an album that draws on pessimism. It's a largely reflective collection that wears the bruises of life with a weary pride. T Bone Burnett has done a wonderful job on the production, creating a foreboding aura, largely driven by an upfront bass that will certainly test the lower reaches of your listening apparatus. There are subtle country overtones courtesy of the occasional fiddle, and some delicious steel guitar licks, but this isn't a country album. Perhaps the album's crowning glory is the marriage of Jakob's forthright vocals with absolutely sublime harmonies from Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, lending a warmth to the restless musing. The starkly pensive 'Down On Our Own Shield' employs these harmonies to stunning effect, sounding like an intimate conversation, with the two voices locked in an eternal embrace; it works equally well creating the effortless cool of 'Truth For Truth', bringing a spirited ebullience to the punchy chorus. There's a reluctant hope to be found on Woman & Country too, and repeated listens will enable you tease out these subtleties.

Krista Detor: Chocolate Paper Suites

This is possibly becoming irritating by now; I'm like a one-man Krista Detor appreciation society. I'm trying not to be blinkered to any flaws that I should perhaps notice, but I am truly captivated by the artistry of this lady. Krista's writing exudes a warmth and compassion that is only intensified by her classy, understated delivery. This album is arranged in five suites, each suite binding three songs with a delicate thread. I didn't fully appreciate the subtleties that bind these themes on my earlier listens, nor on my initial review of Chocolate Paper Suites, so here goes: 'Oranges Fall Like Rain' reflects on life's reckless pursuit of material false gods; any song from 'Night Light' deserves immediate addition to the Great American Songbook, all soaked in a moonlit ambience, and shimmering with a class that harks back to those golden age jazz standards; the darker sides of relationships are explored on 'Madness Of Love', mulling over an inevitable denouement, the unbearable emotional strain, and the utter hopelessness of unrequited love; 'By Any Other Name' casts an eye over the lost chances of life and the apathy with which we greet, or fail to recognise, moments of serendipity. Finally, billed as a bonus suite, there are three songs from The Darwin Songhouse project, and most notably Krista's 'Clock of the World', which is quite possibly the finest song to emerge from this project. What I'm describing here is what this album has come to mean to me over the course of this year; it might not be quite what Krista had in mind. But that's what Krista's songs tend to do: they seep in to your consciousness and become a part of your life, like old friends that you can call on for succour and emotional nourishment. (read my original review here)

The Owl Service: The View From A Hill

It would have been so easy for this recording to become a complete disaster, playing to every folk-rock cliche going, and its a true testament to all involved that the resulting album manages to pay a tasteful homage to both the folk tradition and the very best of the folk-rock makeover from the 1960s and 1970s. It actually goes further than this though, for The View From A Hill is not merely a tribute album, but a rich exploration of our folk traditions, presented through varied vocal styles and sounding as fresh and contemporary as anything that the English folk scene has presented in recent years, despite hanging on proudly to defiantly retro folk-rock roots. It's almost like the folk music equivalent of the second generation Mini: it holds fast to the charm that attracted us to the originals, yet wraps it up in an imaginative new coat. This is music with true spirit, and also some of the finest, most understated folk vocalists that we have in Britain. (read my original review here)

Jason Steel: Fire Begot Ash

Jason Steel is also a member of The Owl Service, and Fire Begot Ash marks a further excellent release from the independent label, Rif Mountain, a label that seems to be well and truly plugged in to the tremendously rich seam of acoustic music that the UK has to offer right now. Fire Begot Ash revels in its simplicity, showcasing Steel's dextrous picking of banjo and guitar, playing with a precision that sacrifices none of the soul or rapport imparted by his uncomplicated vocals. It's an intimate affair, very much a personal performance, and one that instantly finds a home in your affections. (read my original review here)

Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Age Of Miracles

Mary Chapin Carpenter is an artist who just gets better with age. Like the timbre of her voice, her writing has grown in warmth and intimacy, and this album is certain to endure as a very personal, timeless record of memories and sentiments. Mary's vocals are an exemplary lesson in understated effortlessness throughout, with the nuance of hushed expression portraying more than any unnecessary volume or vocal histrionics ever could. Her lyrics don't lose any of their edge though: '4 June 1989' recalls the Tiananmen Square protests from the viewpoint of a young soldier, and the uplifting potency of the title track urges you not to yield the pursuit of dreams and to seek out each glimmer of hope that can be found in the most courageous, individual acts of humanity. One is tempted to think that a quiet revolution may well be truly alive and fighting in Mary's world right now. There's a telling self-confidence about her lyrics too, without ever coming across as egotistical, that suggests a writer who is comfortable in her own shell, very much at ease with her 'need for solitude', and who finds continued inspiration when placing herself at some distance from the rest of the world, and even her own life. This might well be her best collection of songs yet.

ALBUM REVIEW: The Scoville Units

2010-12-24T19:46:00.001Z

The Scoville Units (Get Real Records, 2011)

Originally formed for a one-off appearance at Celtic Connections, the lure of cementing this musical relationship in the studio proved irresistible for The Scoville Units. British banjo wizard, Leon Hunt, was originally called upon to concoct this ensemble, and he wasted no time in bringing together some of the foremost talents in acoustic music, each renowned for their characterful, genre-traversing style. Former member of Flook, Ed Boyd, lines up the pulsing rhythms of his guitar alongside Josh Clarke’s subtle yet vibrant percussion, the vivacious mandolin of Rex Preston, the sturdy double bass of Miranda Sykes, and the jazz-infused hues of Gina Griffin’s uninhibited fiddle. Griffin also adds her deliciously laid-back vocals to the mix, further embellishing the diverse sounds that permeate the band’s mix of traditional and self-penned material.

Right from the off, the band display a heady fusion of traditions from either side of the Atlantic, with a bluegrass-infused interpretation of “Scarborough Fair” bursting to life with animated ornamentations that imbue the melody’s natural sobriety with a contagious and at times triumphant ebullience.

The restraint with which “Glory at the Meeting House” begins, really whets the appetite with a gentle precision that teases each note from the various strings, underpinned by the subtle rolling rhythm of a laconic cajon. It’s almost like listening in slow motion, and a rare moment during which one can really take in the individual prowess and subtleties that each musician contributes.

If it’s pulsating, racy music that floats your boat, then your boat will be well and truly carried away in an almighty ocean swell. The traditional “Hangman’s Reel” embodies every aural quirk that the band
has to offer, with the banjo, mandolin and fiddle racing each other in a seamlessly flamboyant bluegrass flurry, hurried along by the chasing rhythms of guitar and percussion.

Gina Griffin’s wonderfully unfussy, unaffected vocals grace a few tracks, bringing a glowing effervescence as she skips joyously through “Angeline,” and an honest warmth as she wraps her voice around the wistful lyrics of her own composition, “White Pebbles.” Her improvised scat vocals lend a full-bodied nonchalance to some of the tunes, and a distinct jazz tinge to the band’s otherwise traditional sounds.

This album provides an invigorating and intoxicating fusion of bluegrass and Celtic music, with each musician occupying a very distinct, left-of-centre position on the genre spectrum, which results
in music that never settles for a predictable comfort zone, but pushes subtly at genre boundaries with an understated panache. It works so well, simply because it sounds so effortless.

One might suggest that The Scoville Units do a fine job of filling the gap left by Nickel Creek; one might equally suggest that they possibly outclass them.

http://www.thescovilleunits.com/

ALBUM REVIEW: Chris & Siobhan Nelson- 'Early Birds'

2010-11-23T19:44:00.000Z

Chris & Siobhan Nelson, Early Birds (self-released, 2010)

The independent music scene is a wonderful place, and in particular that element of the scene which is nurtured and supported by our wonderful network of folk clubs. Southport-based Chris & Siobhan Nelson are very much an integral part of that scene, and their latest release is brimming with the kind of unpretentious warmth that one simply won’t find in the music of the more mainstream, media-savvy folk world. Early Birds has a rare and unrelenting beauty, that can be mostly attributed to the meticulous tenderness of Siobhan’s utterly adorable voice, recalling a younger Joan Baez. However, this is very much a partnership, and if Siobhan’s voice assumes the starring role, it’s Chris’ solid and diverse musicianship that weaves a wonderful backdrop against which Siobhan can glisten, playing fiddle, guitar and mandolin, amongst others.

The magic is most apparent when the understated backdrop of a gently plucked guitar and subtly bowed fiddle allow plenty of room for Siobhan’s fluent vocals to flood your senses. The subdued majesty of the string-drenched title track, where Siobhan’s commanding performance is only momentarily eclipsed by the delicate birdsong that opens and closes the song is one such example, and quite possibly the most bewitching performance that the folk scene will produce this year. Their cover of Dougie MacLean’s “Not Lie Down” is equally captivating, adding much feeling to MacLean’s winsome contemplations.

The Nelsons’ old friend, Barry Wake, contributes a couple of songs that do much to reinforce his position as a writing force to be reckoned with. The robust working class rhetoric of “Four Hours’ Work” brings a Ewan MacColl-like originality, yet equally holds the potential to seamlessly filter its way into the tradition. Wake’s second contribution adopts a more reflective position, pondering over life’s journey: “there’ll be regrets, and times to forget, but always there’s a road that you can choose.”

There is an accomplished selection of traditional material here too, impeccably illuminated by the Nelsons’ masterful musical poise, ranging from the bawdy “Ratcliffe Highway,” to the stately elegance of “The Loyal Lover,” and the circumspect narrative of “New York Trader.”

That our folk scene can quietly turn out such understated beauty, in the absence of vacuous media hype, gives hope to genuine lovers of music that the true beauty of art will ultimately prevail; that the cream of our music scene will always rise quietly and effortlessly to the top. Early Birds undoubtedly deserves to be jostling politely amongst the upper echelons of more commercial releases, and could certainly teach many of these pretenders a thing or two about
integrity and humility. You really should buy Early Birds: bask in its quiet splendour, luxuriate in its shimmering allure… simply enjoy it, because it is simply enjoyable.

http://www.chrisandsiobhan.co.uk/

ALBUM REVIEW: Eleanor McEvoy - 'I'd Rather Go Blonde'

2010-09-14T20:11:00.000+01:00

Eleanor McEvoy, I'd Rather Go Blonde (Mosco Disc, 2010)

Eleanor McEvoy has always occupied a resolutely individual place in music, writing about the trials and tribulations of everyday life with a canny eye for detail and a knowing heart that boasts strength and warmth in equal measures. Musically, it's hard to pin McEvoy down to one particular style, and it's this diversity that invests her recordings with a constantly evolving freshness, anchored firmly around the undeniable allure of her potent voice and carefully crafted arrangements. I'd Rather Go Blonde, McEvoy's eighth album since her eponymous debut in 1993, seems to plough a particularly personal furrow, marrying wry eccentricities with reflective and intimate reveries.

As if to accentuate her steadfast individuality, McEvoy begins with the immediate confidence of "Look Like Me," in which she brushes aside the empty vagaries of the latest fashion, eschewing airbrushed conformity in favour of her own hard-won contentment and self-assurance. The title track provides further affirmation that McEvoy knows her own mind, putting a former or potential lover well and truly in their place. Harking back to her classical background, chic string arrangements ensure both these songs portray further indelible traits of McEvoy's unique musical personality.

On several occasions, McEvoy casts a keen eye over her homeland, happy to speak of her love for Ireland without shying away from what she perceives as its flaws. The wistful "Just For The Tourists" looks beyond the superficial attractions to a more subtle, hidden beauty and the reality that accompanies it: "they can't see the face that haunts you." The fall from grace of the Celtic Tiger is articulately expressed in "Shibboleth," with a lyric and melody soaked in celtic mysticism, proudly recalling a country basking in the spotlight and contrasting this with the pain as its people fall on hard times. "Deliver Me (From What You Do)" weaves religious tones around a scathing narrative where McEvoy admonishes the Catholic Church, highlighting its hypocrisy: "what would Jesus say to you?" The gregorian chant that provides the song's coda lends a dramatic contrast to the strident beats over which the lyrics are delivered. This is a powerful trio of songs, portraying the feelings of pride, fondness and disgust that emanate from today's Ireland.

For me, McEvoy's calling card has always been her ability to deploy humour and contemporary language in depicting modern day relationships. The legal jargon that dominates "For Avoidance Of Any Doubt" seems to hint at the inevitable denouement of a one-sided relationship, with a droll, tongue-in-cheek demeanour that makes this playful number particularly enjoyable. "Take You Home" has a different focus, musing over the unrelenting temptation of a forbidden love, whilst the subtle disco beats of "The Thought Of You" provide a more sanguine viewpoint of similar yearnings.

Having begun my formative late-teens listening to Eleanor McEvoy's debut album, it remains a pleasure and continued source of reassurance to catch up with her latest heartwarming contemplations and colourful vignettes of day to day life. McEvoy bemoans the loneliness of life on the road on "Away From You," declaring a weariness of playing "music with a melody, no one wants to hear." I can wholeheartedly counsel that the melodies of Eleanor McEvoy provide music that everybody should want to hear, and in which much solace and strength can be abundantly found.

Eleanor's website can be found here

You can find Eleanor on MySpace here

ALBUM REVIEW: Ewan McLennan - 'Rags & Robes'

2010-08-23T21:35:00.000+01:00

Ewan McLennan, Rags & Robes (Fellside Recordings, 2010)

Rags & Robes is a resoundingly fresh-sounding album of folk songs, unveiling the distinctive, unwavering vocals of Ewan McLennan alongside his unassuming but colourful arrangements. McLennan has an earthy, weathered voice that is well placed to flesh out the drama and emotions occupying the songs on Rags & Robes. Largely consisting of just Ewan and his guitar, with occasional accompaniment from Peter Tickell on fiddle, and Jackie Oates on viola and vocal harmonies, the arrangements are crisp and uncluttered.

Singing unaccompanied on "Old Man's Tale," McLennan demonstrates an effortlessly emotive power, with a voice of robust beauty and clarity that makes listening a thoroughly engrossing experience. It's McLennan's unfussy delivery that really places the emphasis on the story-telling aspect of his craft, weaving a steadfast narrative that evokes genuine empathy with the songs' characters.

A brave, sprightly interpretation of "Arthur McBride" well and truly puts McLennan's voice through its paces, and he manages well not to trip over his words on this rumbustious effort. "Joe Hill" and Ewan MacColl's "Jamie Foyers" are sung with a particular passion that teases out the intense sentiments of the lyrics, not through volume or tempo, but a sheer purposefulness and palpable sense of responsibility to infuse the song with respect for the story and its subjects. Jackie Oates' viola adds a certain potency to "Joe Hill."

Whilst it will be McLennan's voice that draws your immediate attention - and holds it - it would be remiss to overlook the similarly impressive proficiency that he displays on the guitar. Playing with a meticulous, fluid style, McLennan seems to pitch just the right amount of ornamentation such that the arrangements avoid being unnecessarily clumsy, providing ample opportunity for each note to ring out and for the listener to fully absorb the melody. The instrumental track, "Jer The Rigger / Flowers Of Edinburgh," allows you to fully appreciate McLennan's disarming combination of dexterity and restraint.

Rags & Robes provides Ewan McLennan with just reason to stake a claim to being one of the Scottish folk scene's finest male vocalists, bringing a clarity and energy that carry a broad appeal. The no-nonsense virtues instilled in Rags & Robes establish McLennan as the real deal: a folk singer and musician who demonstrates unquestionable talent, with an appeal that is likely to prove timeless and lasting. Ewan McLennan may well be the best singer you'll hear all year.

Visit Ewan's website here!

Visit Ewan on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Sean Taylor - 'Walk With Me'

2010-07-24T21:38:00.000+01:00

Sean Taylor, Walk With Me (self-released, 2010)

Much as on last year's Calcutta Grove album, Walk With Me is firmly anchored by Sean Taylor's soulful voice which ranges from a sturdy but intimate whisper to a full-bodied growl, carrying with it an undeniable power to comfort and seduce. Taylor's own guitar and harmonica retain much of the raw soul of his previous album, though the presence of former Waterboy, Trevor Hutchinson, sharing the production credits here with Taylor, undoubtedly contributes to a more mainstream appeal. Hutchinson also brings the sturdy rhythms of his bass, and alongside the inclusion of Michael Buckley's saxophone, and occasional cello, pedal steel and hammond organ, there is a diverse sound palette on which Walk With Me draws, cleverly blending Taylor's sassy attitude with sublime, classy arrangements. Taylor's writing is as true to life as ever, with enthusiastic, frank portrayals of physical attraction and the pursuit of intimacy, but equally keen and vivid depictions of the depths of despair when hopes of love are spurned.

Tracks such as "So High" and "Fare Thee Well" are really Taylor's stock-in-trade, with minimalist arrangements that set Taylor's nimble acoustic guitar against his expressive drawl, drawing obvious influences from the 1960s golden era of folk-blues. Sounding more contemporary are tracks such as "For You" and "Slow Dance;" beautifully sombre tales of the trepidations of unrequited love that lend themselves perfectly to Taylor's evocative vocal. "Feel Alright" provides one of the more robust moments on the album, with a flirtatious, carefree performance that pulsates with life and lust, punctuated by a particularly vibrant, possibly even sexy, saxophone.

There are a couple of particularly interesting 'covers' to be found on Walk With Me. First up is "Love Hate On," where Taylor marries his music with words from a Shakespeare sonnet. It's an interesting combination, with Taylor gently purring his way through the intricate, emotive language of Shakespeare, all wrapped up in a blues-soaked, piano-led arrangement, underscored by the elegance of Vyvienne Long's cello. The traditional song, "She Moved Through The Fair," is treated to a complete overhaul, with a sparse vocal sung over a contemporary percussive rhythm, before giving way to a groovy instrumental interplay between saxophone, bass and hammond organ: it's almost unrecognisable, but it sounds absolutely exhilarating!

When I reviewed Taylor's last album, I made inevitable comparisons to John Martyn and, without wishing to be lazy, it's a similarity that just can't be ignored. Furthermore, it's much to Taylor's credit that any such comparisons could reasonably be made with the earlier material of Martyn that was regarded with such high critical acclaim. I don't think John Martyn ever covered Shakespeare though! Walk With Me certainly gives credence to Sean Taylor as a legend in the making.

Visit Sean's website here!

Visit Sean on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Risa Hall - 'Glass Half...?'

2010-07-12T22:51:00.000+01:00

Risa Hall, Glass Half...? (self-released, 2010)

Born in Queens, New York, but based in Manchester for many years now, Glass Half...? is the debut album from an artist whose adept versatility has seen her work range from performing in Broadway musicals to providing voiceovers for radio programmes and playstation games. Risa returns to her first love of music, ably assisted by producer Nigel Stonier, who manages to tame Risa's exuberant vocal performance to capture a sassy singer who delivers spirit in abundance. Sounding thoroughly fresh, Glass Half...? depicts influences of the soulful Motown sound, traces of psychedelic folk-rock, and occasional nods towards show-business pizazz. Predominately, it's a zesty guitar-led affair though, that manages to be both uplifting and laid-back.

"That I Want You" provides an opportunity to witness the rich detail in Risa's voice with a seductive, jazz-imbued number that would sound right at home being sung by the sultry stage chanteuse of a Broadway musical. The jazz nuances continue on "Jazz Lullaby" with vocal eccentricities that recall a late 1970s Joni Mitchell.

The quirkiness of "The Grail" provides particular intrigue, with Risa's voice, higher pitched than elsewhere, sounding particularly bewitching, and entwining beautifully with the graceful flute of Laura Manship, evoking the winsome ghosts of folk-tale surrealism. "Roses" is another balladic moment that provides a sweeping, classy close to the album.

The more mainstream, attitude-laden numbers such as "Shooting Stars" or "Second Chances" are most likely to provide the memorable hooks to attract radio attention, and also appeal to a broader audience, providing plenty of catchy, sing-along moments. However, it's ultimately the breadth of appeal, and in particular the ability to combine a tenacious verve with an assuring compassion that means Glass Half...? is destined to be greeted fondly by those it touches.

Visit Risa on MySpace here

ALBUM REVIEW: Jason Steel - 'Fire Begot Ash'

2010-06-30T23:16:00.001+01:00

Jason Steel, Fire Begot Ash (Rif Mountain, 2010)

Coming in at just under thirty minutes, Fire Begot Ash is a somewhat fleeting experience, but it's certainly one that will catch your attention. Jason Steel breezes past with an effortless but intricate whirlwind of folk-blues with occasional hints of americana. It's like walking down a busy street and catching the momentary genius of a street entertainer, but with this recording you have the added benefit of being able to start all over again and immerse yourself in its rustic charms. Consisting of voice and either solo guitar or banjo, and with some of the material being wholly instrumental, Fire Begot Ash is a sparse, unassuming affair that allows you to climb in to its capacious soundscape and familiarise yourself with each secluded nook and cranny.

The instrumental tracks are striking for their fluid intricacy, and their ability to evoke the emotions about which they were written. On "Ginger Wine Rag," the feelings of friendship and bonhomie are palpable, whilst the frantic tempo of "Young People Dancing" conjures up a much more energetic sense of fun.

Nestled amongst the mesmerisingly nimble guitar work there are tender and introspective ballads, where Steel's occasionally indecipherable vocal lies somewhere between lethargy and sheer blissed out contentment. "The Black House" is a particularly bleak ruminative piece, whilst "Poppy Rosa" provides a more playful recollection of love's first flush.

It tends to be the banjo-led, americana-influenced tracks where Steel really stretches his voice, with a lonesome old-time drawl such as on "Lycanthrope Stomp" where Steel ponders the darker sides of sleepless nights under a full moon, or on "Cling & Claw" where Steel ruefully picks over the bones of a dead relationship.

Fire Begot Ash has a straightforward intuitiveness: sparing and simple, yet all the more rich for this. It's a real charmer of an album, and one can't imagine not falling under its intimate spell.

Visit Jason on MySpace here!

Visit the Rif Mountain website here!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Owl Service - 'The View From A Hill'

2010-06-29T20:03:00.002+01:00

The Owl Service, The View From A Hill (Rif Mountain, 2010)

The genre of folk-rock is an oft-maligned beast. Since Fairport Convention's seminal Liege and Lief was released back in 1969, undoubtedly setting an immediate zenith for the genre, there have followed many misguided and disconcerting efforts. Even to this day there are many who labour under the false pretence that louder and faster automatically means better, and seemingly few who are able to enchantingly fuse the subtleties of the tradition with the energy of contemporary music. The Owl Service are thankfully adept at enchantment, and throughout The View From A Hill they illuminate traditional words and melody with the bold and fearless dynamism with which they were most likely written. Not only do they leave the very essence of the tradition wholly intact, they also hark back to the very best elements of those first pioneers of folk-rock, whilst adding enough of their own distinct ingredients to refresh aspects of the genre that are growing somewhat tired.

A tantalisingly stark and brief interpretation of "Polly On The Shore" introduces the album, with the rich resonance of Naomy Browton's cello set against the lighter shades of Nancy Wallace's concertina. This is followed by a truly stunning rework of "The Banks Of The Nile," with lyrics learnt from what might well be considered as the definitive version of this song, by Sandy Denny's Fotheringay, though set to the tune of "Jenny On The Moor." For many reasons, it's this performance that captures the essence of The Owl Service: informed by the finest proponents of the tradition, yet not afraid to experiment; making best use of the many and varied sounds and styles at their disposal, yet creating uncluttered arrangements that boast a discernible clarity. The prominence given to Jo Lepine's chiming vocal shifts the emphasis firmly to the story woven by the lyrics, over a meandering bass line, and minimalist percussion.

Vocal beauty is rather an embarrassment of riches for The Owl Service, so it's no surprise that it should provide the centrepiece for much of The View From A Hill. The pure and striking beauty of Nancy Wallace's unadorned vocals make for a real treat, and particularly when singing unaccompanied on "Sorry The Day I Was Married," bringing an authentic diction along with a bucketful of charm. The boys also add their own vocal appeal, with Dominic Cooper and Jason Steel combining strength and empathy on "I Was A Young Man," an exuberant performance, notable for the feisty interplay of flute and electric guitar on the instrumental breaks. The forlorn beauty of Diana Collier's vocals furnish "The Ladies Go Dancing At Whitsun" with a gently beguiling appeal, which is all the more remarkable when you consider that she is accompanied by trombone and recorder!

Drawing influence from celebrated innovators and contributors to the tradition, this collection serves up recognisable fayre, albeit refreshed by the medley of instruments, styles, and distinctive vocal characteristics offered by The Owl Service. Name-checking the likes of Martin Carthy, Shirley and Dolly Collins, Anne Briggs and Mike Waterson, it's a recipe that ensures The View From A Hill is able to hold the listeners attention throughout. Their bold performances embrace subtle theatrical nuances, bringing freshness and lifelike qualities to this collection of traditional tales, with a clarity and commitment that has ample potential to enlighten even the uninitiated.

Visit the Rif Mountain website here!

Visit The Owl Service on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Lizzie Nunnery - 'Company Of Ghosts'

2010-06-15T23:20:00.000+01:00

Lizzie Nunnery, Company of Ghosts (Fellside Recordings, 2010)

Lizzie Nunnery possesses a unique voice with echoes of the English tradition, yet spins a tale with her lyrics that manages to be both contemporary and timeless. A modern-day English maiden, singing with her gorgeous northern accent to the fore, Lizzie delivers an utterly arresting vocal with a tremolo that lays bare her emotions and may well leave you flailing helplessly in love. There is a resolute quirkiness that nestles within Lizzie's writing and performance that further builds on her plentiful charms.

Company of Ghosts is a fitting title for Lizzie's debut release; one quickly becomes aware that it's an album replete with ghosts. Secluded amongst each of the twelve songs, should you look and listen, are ghosts of colourful street characters, back-street pub drunks, past lovers, close friends, and ghosts of ones own hopes and fears. Inhabiting new homes within Lizzie's vivid lyrics, stories and characters are portrayed with a minimalism that leaves enough clues for you to piece together the bigger picture.

Opening with "England Loves A Poor Boy," Lizzie quickly hits her stride, with a derisory take on a nation's bloodthirsty obsession with war, sang to the military march of a snare drum and the more nimble precision of a ringing banjo. This is followed by "Hungry," a song that is already something of an anthem amongst those in the know, with its familiar tale of a troubled or unfulfilled love, made all the more intimate with the brusque honesty of the disappointed lover: "I starve for you inside, dance you round my head, I go hungry to bed."

"Pubs That Never Close" depicts a perpetual urge to escape the troughs of life's low points in search of never-ending parties, picking up or kicking out a few pieces of life's dirty linen along the way: "...let's all drag our parties out in to the road, let's all drag our arguments and dramas to explode." In contrast to this flagrant summons, "Concertina" offers a delightfully intimate character portrait, recounted with a manifest perception and warmth that genuinely sets Lizzie apart from less memorable writers.

The title track is an intriguing piece, with an intense, spoken narrative that evokes bold imagery, not least because it is delivered with the relentless charm of Lizzie's unpretentious northern diction. "On His 60th Birthday" aches with prettiness, finding strength in the resolve of the lyrics, as they cascade over a simple, understated ukulele.

Company Of Ghosts undoubtedly heralds the arrival of an artist with a distinct talent to offer, through the unmistakeable beauty of her other-worldly voice, and her refreshingly direct lyrics.

Lizzie's website is here!

Lizzie's MySpace page is here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Andy Cutting

2010-06-11T20:11:00.001+01:00

Andy Cutting, Andy Cutting (2010, Lane Records)

Andy Cutting is by now a familiar name on the folk scene, whether as part of Blowzabella, or accompanying the likes of Kate Rusby and Chris Wood. Surprisingly, this eponymous effort marks the first recording to be released under his own moniker, and the fact that the recording for this project started in 2001, with a further session in 2004, before being completed in 2008, suggests that Cutting might have felt some reluctance to place himself directly under the spotlight. Any reluctance on his part is wholly unwarranted, as this outstanding collection demonstrates. Cutting plays with a style that feels like he is gently coaxing the melodies out of his accordion, lending a fluid restraint that sacrifices little in the way of purpose, and results in a performance that is sensually illuminating.

Subtlety seems to be the order of the day here, and a handful of notable guest musicians contribute, yet none of these appearances could be considered superficial; they all seem to follow Cutting's cue by allowing the tune to be paramount and suppressing any sense of ego. Nonetheless, the distinguished musical personalities of Mike McGoldrick, Tim Harries, and Ian Carr are evident and each do their bit to flesh out the sound when called upon.

The Cutting/Carr collaborations are particularly notable for their complex rhythmic marriage, with "Edges / Thin Waltz" positively revelling in the most joyous interplay of accordion and guitar that one might ever hear. The apparent lightness of touch as Cutting skips effortlessly through the exuberant melody sits in contrast to the more meticulous rhythms of Carr's guitar. The partnership takes a more subdued form on the traditional tunes "Cuckoo's Nest / Old Molly Oxford," where a generous helping of space and restraint allow for a rare appreciation of the subtle resonances of both instruments, as well as their more precise charms.

Tim Harries' double bass brings a sense of purpose and drama on "Still Hearing You / The Resplendent Jig," a set of tunes that stretches the album beyond the traditional sounds that typify the album, lending a darker, jazz-tinged ambience. The uncompromising, measured pace of "Atherfield" results in one of the more sober tunes on the album, performed as a resplendent duet with the full-bodied flute of Mike McGoldrick.

Alongside the various collaborations, there are opportunities aplenty to hear what Cutting can do when left to his own devices, and these moments prove no less engaging. "Charlie / Come Back" is a spirited, punchy set of tunes that ably demonstrates the versatility of the the accordion, whilst "The Old Light" finds Cutting harnessing the more subdued and emotive aspects of the instrument. Both these tunes are composed by Cutting himself, along with many others on the album, and demonstrate a canny manipulation of traditional influences, distilled into a more contemporary-sounding concoction. There is another short but sweet Cutting original, "Covered In People," that wryly captures the panic and mayhem of being lost in a crowd, clearly signalling the empathy that Cutting is capable of weaving in to melody.

This album will surely sell like the proverbial hot potato at this summer's folk festivals, and deservedly so. It's certainly an album that should quickly establish itself amongst the finest releases of the year from the English folk scene.

You can visit Andy Cutting's website here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Rebekah Findlay - 'Northern Skies'

2010-05-19T23:02:00.000+01:00

Rebekah Findlay, Northern Skies (self-released, 2010)

Fresh from the verdant lands of North Yorkshire, Rebekah Findlay releases her debut album: a gripping collection with a heart that firmly embraces the folk traditions, yet with unabashed contemporary blood positively coursing through its veins. Managing to be both vibrant and subtle, this is a more than impressive first effort, showcasing a singer who makes good use of light and shade in the delivery of her breathy vocals, displaying a commanding presence when in full force whilst being equally effective and assuredly compassionate when a more subdued approach is called for. Undoubtedly shaped by the history and landscape that surround her, Rebekah writes with a prescient grasp of language that invokes vivid imagery, delivering her interpretation of all that surrounds her with an eager pride.

Raised on Teeside, it should come as no surprise that Rebekah's coming-of-age tales and matters of the heart are scripted against a backdrop of shorelines and industrious harbours. "Harbour Wall" tells of stolen moments and a romance fuelled by shared dreams of the freedom and adventure promised by the vast ocean, contrasting with "Duty Bound" where the solitary existence of a lighthouse keeper paints a more desolate picture: "survived by no-one and husband to none, no son to take your place and keep your light alive."

Effortlessly shifting between traditional and contemporary, Rebekah shows her confidence on striking renditions of familiar traditional songs "The Blacksmith" and "Scarborough Fair," both brought to life with her bold interpretations. Perhaps the most telling fusion is on Rebekah's own "In Stone," preceded by a faux-radio recording of the Burneston Folk Club Singers' hearty rendition of the traditional shanty, "Haul In The Bowline." Remaining true to the spirit of the shanty, Rebekah picks up the more solemn story of a loved one left ashore to mourn the loss of her beau, taken by the unforgiving vigour of the ocean swell.

The language and imagery that pervades Rebekah's own writing often borrows from the tradition. Her bitter rebuke of warmongering on "Pipes & Drum" uses a language of wars long since past, yet evokes emotions and rhetoric that are as relevant now as they have ever been. Similarly, "The Lady Of The Lake," with its allusions to queens, knights, and swords pulled from stones, finds Rebekah cleverly creating her own folklore through which she depicts a universal tale of love, intrigue and deceit.

Augmented by a small group of musicians, the playing throughout Northern Skies is animated, bringing spark and spirit to a largely acoustic, enigmatic backdrop. The accompanying booklet is bedecked with the most beautiful illustrations that reflects the personal energy invested in the project, and the organic nature of both content and presentation. Northern Skies is a boldly intimate affair that is certain to catapult Rebekah Findlay to deserved wider attention and adoration.

Rebekah's website can be found here!

Rebekah's MySpace page can be found here!

EP REVIEW: Lau vs Karine Polwart - 'Evergreen'

2010-05-09T22:40:00.002+01:00

Lau vs Karine Polwart, Evergreen EP (Hegri Music / Lau Scotland, 2010)

This combination of Scotland's most formidable music talents was always likely to create sparks. Evergreen is an intriguing collaboration of five songs, that really serves to whet the appetite for more of the same, pushing gently at the boundaries of the contributors' comfort zones. The distinctive voices of Karine Polwart and Kris Drever make for a compelling partnership, with the precision of Polwart's resolute vocals proving the perfect foil for Drever's more easygoing manner. The innovative arrangements of Martin Green's accordion and wurlitzer, and the fiddle of Aidan O'Rourke, flesh out the sound to give a commanding resonance, whilst also embracing quirky contemporary elements along the way.

The title track is the sole composition written by Polwart and Lau themselves; it's a haunting piece, with the fiddle of O'Rourke bringing an air of menace alongside layered vocal harmonies. Their evocative treatment of Dave Goulder's "January Man" subtly teases out the unease of passing time, whilst Lal Waterson's majestic "Midnight Feast" is delivered with an authoritative spirit, making it the stand-out track on the EP. The Blue Nile's "From Rags To Riches" is stripped of the synthetic accompaniment that graces the original, and nestled amongst a spacious acoustic arrangement that actually feels more befitting of the song's spirit. The EP closes with a rendition of "Lord Yester," opening with a most beautiful air, courtesy of Aidan O'Rourke's fiddle, and featuring a measured duet vocal from Polwart and Drever, that highlights precisely what makes this musical marriage so special.

When Karine appeared on Kris Drever's last album, I suggested that I'd like to hear further exploration of this alliance, so Evergreen is something of a bonus for me. I genuinely hope they all get together again to share more of their musical dreams, because they really do form the most glorious partnership. Karine Polwart may prove to be as significant an addition to Lau, as Sandy Denny was to Fairport Convention, all those years ago.

You can catch up with Karine Polwart on her website or on MySpace, and also pay a visit to Lau's website or MySpace page.

ALBUM REVIEW: T. G. Elias - 'The Man In The Iron Cage'

2010-05-09T09:25:00.000+01:00

T. G. Elias, The Man In the Iron Cage (self-released, 2010)

You're unlikely to be familiar with the name T. G. Elias. At present, Elias seems to spend his time travelling between small, select venues who provide valuable opportunities for underground musicians to take their first tentative steps, and reveal their wares to an audience full of expectation and preconception. Elias boasts a distinct originality and intimacy that promises instant seduction, and it's difficult to imagine an audience who wouldn't ditch any expectations or preconceptions to fall under his potent spell.

As a reviewer, one of the laziest things you can do is to hail the new Dylan, every time a guitar-toting, harmonica-playing male turns up on the music scene. However, looking beyond these rudimentary musical props, there is still much about Elias that evokes the ghost of early Dylan. The Man In The Iron Cage has those same lonesome hobo echoes that permeated Dylan's earlier work, portraying a similarly mischievous and obtuse narrative, and folk-blues influence. Elias could well take up the mantle of the voice of yet another restless generation, albeit five decades on from Dylan's similar exploits.

"The Banqueting Cup" is an unashamed love song, in worship of a beguiling female, where Elias doesn't baulk in sharing the physical nature of this attraction, and the ultimate intimacy of discovery: "I played the old master when I unhooked your clothes." This isn't the sole instance of lustful yearnings, where Elias reveals a playful, flirty way with words; a strategy which may prove to be a key attraction, particularly to female members of his audience. However, closer examination of the lyrics often reveal intentions of an overtly carnal nature, rather than the more innocent tones of romance with which they are delivered. Elias appears to be pretty cunning when it comes to smooth talk!

There are moments tinged with gospel influences, with Elias rising perfectly to the challenge with his effortlessly soulful voice: "Love Is Armed With Only Hate And War" showcases a meditative approach, whilst "A Wicked Tongue" offers a much more rousing and uplifting alternative. The sole instrumental track on the album, "A Rag For Ronnie," is an energetic folk-blues romp on the guitar and harmonica, which appears to reach an unexpected and unintentionally premature close.

There is a simplicity about the music on The Man In The Iron Cage that cleverly combines engaging melodies, a nonchalant approach to performance that is brimming with fun, and lyrics that offer depth and candour. The stirring and expressive voice of Elias binds all this together perfectly, resulting in an absorbing listening experience, that is sure to leave you wanting more.

You can catch up with T. G. Elias on MySpace

Joy Dunlop – A Powerful Marriage of Beautiful Tunes and Emotive Language

2010-03-16T21:23:00.002Z

Joy Dunlop emerges from the Gaelic culture in which she has been immersed throughout her life to present her debut album, Dùsgadh (Awakening). Born and bred in the Argyll village of Connel, and educated at the Scottish Gaelic College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Joy boasts an understanding of the Gaelic language and culture that is both instinctive and scholarly. Having spent her early years winning much acclaim at local Fèisean and Mòds, Joy has shown her appreciation to the Gaelic community with a commitment that has seen her involved in the teaching of both Gaelic language and song, bringing her youthful energy and zeal to the promotion and development of Gaelic culture, both at home and overseas.

Joy talks with an indisputable warmth about the strength of her roots and her rural upbringing: "Argyll is a rural area with very strong Gaelic and Highland influences, made up of many small, close-knit communities. Connel itself is a very small village (there was only one other boy in my primary school class) but one with a real community spirit and a strong link to the language and culture; as a result, I’ve been involved in music and Gaelic all my life. This was a very normal thing though, most people either played instruments or sang, and we were always attending cèilidhs and dances. I was heavily involved with music and Gaelic, singing in the high school Gaelic choir, competing at music festivals, playing in classical concerts, and was also part of a band called Ceòl Gaire, with my brother Andrew and several friends. I was lucky enough to have many opportunities to perform with them around Scotland, at festivals and concerts before we all left school."

Having been surrounded by Gaelic throughout her childhood, Joy cemented her commitment to the language after leaving school, by following an immersion honours degree in Gaelic Language and Culture at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. This was followed up by an impressive array of jobs that found Joy further exploring the reaches of Gaelic across the globe, starting closer to home as a short course organiser at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and then as a Gaelic Development Officer for An Comunn Gàidhealach (organisers of The Royal National Mòd), but also traversing the globe to promote Gaelic in places such as Cape Breton and New Zealand. Joy explains that these experiences were very much two-way traffic, learning much herself in the process: "These were all amazing jobs from which I learned so much and met so many inspirational people. I feel really honoured to have had these chances and would love to go back and re-visit them sometime in the future. I actually used a song and steps that I learned in Cape Breton on the album and have wonderful memories linked with those tracks."

Joy has been involved in competitive Gaelic singing since an early age, and now combines her skills as both performer and organiser at events such as the Royal National Mòd, showing a sense of respect for the discipline that such events promote: "although there’s a huge amount of preparation and work involved, competing at this level is a great catalyst for never becoming complacent. The Mod is such a fantastic vehicle for Gaelic and Gaelic song; when I look at what it has done over the years to promote and protect our culture, I feel really lucky to be involved. It’s ever growing too, in number and success; choirs especially are pushing the boundaries of Gaelic choral music every year. The sense of community and inclusion help to make it one of my favourite festivals." Joy also acknowledges the less formal aspects of music that she has been involved in, that have shaped how she hears her native music, and ultimately determined the music that would find its way on to her debut album, including playing at several festivals of international renown, and time spent on the road with harp-player Rachel Hair and guitarist, Paul Tracey.

So, it comes as no surprise that Joy should now turn to a more personal celebration of her Gaelic roots, and her debut album, Dùsgadh, is the perfect embodiment of years of osmosis and endeavour. Joy had very particular ideas about how she would go about recording this project, both in terms of selecting the songs and musicians, arranging the music, and making sure that her fellow musicians were fully engaged with the project. "Choosing songs can be one of the most difficult tasks as there’s such a plethora of beautiful and diverse songs to be found in the Gaelic culture. I decided to firstly choose songs that I love. As this is a self released and self funded album I didn’t have to follow anybody’s directions or restrict myself in any way, which was a real luxury. I wanted to have an interesting selection of songs, a mixture of subjects and styles, tempo and type. I looked for songs that would work with instrumental accompaniment and others that could stand alone. I then had to cut down my shortlist from forty-five to twelve!"

To ensure that Dùsgadh bore the sound that Joy had in mind, she hand-picked musicians from amongst Scotland's finest and most innovative players. Particularly noticeable are the classy violin and viola arrangements performed by Patsy Reid, who deploys her classically trained sensibilities to stunning effect, lending a real depth and ensuring that the Dùsgadh stands out from the usual trad/folk sounds of the day. Joy's brother, Andrew, adds piano and harp, and was instrumental in assisting Joy with some of the arrangements on Dùsgadh, demonstrated to particularly stunning effect on "Nochd Gun Chadal," where the crystalline tones of Joy's beautiful voice combine with Andrew's gracious and elegant piano. "I do love working with my brother Andrew; through years of performing together we have a great musical bond and understanding. I chose to work with people with whom I have a strong musical and social relationship. They’re a real mix of classical, jazz and traditional players which produced a wonderful, fresh angle when interpreting the songs. Obviously I had ideas about how I wanted them to sound but everyone brought their own ideas to the table and got really involved." The mix of styles certainly shines strongly throughout Dùsgadh, with Joy's Gaelic song sounding equally at ease whether in more familiar surroundings, or being teased across sultry lounge-jazz arrangements, as on "Taighean Geala."

Whilst not being afraid to experiment with innovative arrangements, Joy was equally keen to ensure that the integrity of the material remained intact: "I tried to interpret the songs in a way that exhibited them, but still worked with the words. I didn't want to lose the meanings as the Gaelic is so compelling. In my opinion, Gaelic songs have the most powerful marriage of beautiful tunes and emotive language. For me, the words and sentiments are always to the fore and determine how I work with the song. The lyrics always tell a story; the songs are sometimes heartbreakingly sad, wonderfully clever or unashamedly passionate, and that was always in my mind when interpreting them. I actually printed off translations for all the songs when we were working on the arrangements so that everyone knew exactly what they were about; I felt that was very important." Joy is also pretty handy on the dance floor, and wasn't afraid to bring together her fancy footwork with her equally dextrous vocals on a set of mouth music that combines pulsing dance steps with this distinct Gaelic singing style: "The step dancing and Gaelic puirt a beul track where I explore the relationship between the rhythmic mouth music and the percussive feet sounds is probably unique, I don’t think anyone’s ever done both themselves before - not that they were recorded simultaneously, I must say!"

Joy is very down to earth, and sanguine about her hopes for Dùsgadh, wishing to add her unique portrayal to a reinvigorated canon of Gaelic music that proves ever more popular and enduring. "Hopefully it will introduce or re-introduce songs and ideas to people, and explore the inherent beauty and richness of the Gaelic song culture. I love singing these songs and hope others will get the same enjoyment out of listening to them. Gaelic language and culture is a thriving, vibrant force and one of which I’m thrilled and honoured to be a part." And in describing her culture, Joy also manages to describe the very personal qualities that she herself brings with Dùsgadh: a vibrant collection of material that showcases the spirit of a thriving, young generation who embrace their Gaelic culture with big hearts and open minds.

Visit Joy's web site here!

Visit Joy's MySpace page here!

Photos © Archie MacFarlane 2008

ALBUM REVIEW: Paul Armfield - 'Blood, Fish & Bone'

2010-03-15T20:35:00.002Z

Paul Armfield, Blood, Fish & Bone (Artfullsounds, 2010)

Blood, Fish & Bone is an album that revels in its simplicity. Set amongst a deliciously sparse, acoustic surrounding, Armfield's vocal delivery is peaceful and gentle, with a style that could be considered as much conversation as it could singing. Armfield weaves a hypnotic spell that is instantly engaging and absorbing: he makes you want to listen. Accompaniment comes mainly in the form of a simply plucked acoustic guitar, occasionally punctuated with the subtlest bass and percussion, the gentle murmurs of a slide or electric guitar, and sparing but effective undercurrents of flute and harmonica.

Armfield proclaims earnestly on “The Only One,” the album's opening track, “I bring you everything I own, I bring you every seed I've sown,” and it's a sentiment that really sets the tone for the rest of the album as Armfield seemingly unloads a lifetime of heart-ease and heartache. Armfield's lyrics offer thoughtful, simply and clearly elucidated sentiments, without ever sounding trite.

“What Every Mother Fears” has lyrics immersed in the joys and sadness of life and nature, and the passing of time. The tender folk melody appears to be drenched in hurt, and a purring flute underlines the mournful thoughts of losing a young life: “The felling of an oak that once stood tall a hundred years, the snapping of a sapling in its shade... oh which tree leant more beauty to the glade?”.

There is a full-bodied yet understated bluesy feel to “Sloe Gin,” a paean to a favoured tipple with a subdued sense of fun – possibly the only song on the album that gives way to some frivolity. The nearest Armfield gets to anger is found on his rallying cry against war, “Who Do They Think They Are?,” where he alludes to supporting the cause, but questions the acts being carried out in his name: “brute force and violence were never my idea.”

Blood, Fish & Bone combines intimacy and intensity with an undeniable appeal that has the potential to command a significant and diverse audience. I urge you to get yourself a copy of this album and allow it to become a solitary, treasured jewel amongst your music collection.

Visit Paul's web site here!

Visit Paul on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Kris Drever - 'Mark The Hard Earth'

2010-03-07T22:49:00.002Z

Kris Drever, Mark The Hard Earth (Navigator Records, 2010)

Kris Drever is doubtlessly one of the most appealing singers of his generation working the current folk scene. He approaches each song in such a laid-back manner, without sacrificing a scrap of intensity or subtlety. With a distinct talent for interpretation of song that manges to be both robust and sympathetic, Drever's delivery is unassumingly stirring. He could well be the Christy Moore of his generation: he certainly brings a similarly frank gravity to the songs he tackles.

There are impressive guests abound on Mark The Hard Earth, but it is Tim O'Brien who makes a noticeable impact, with his lonesome vocal harmonies and distinctive fretwork bringing an americana charm to nestle alongside Drever's unmistakeable Caledonian brogue. The light touch of Roy Dodds' percussion is the album's subtle heartbeat, whilst the assured hand of John McCusker takes the production helm.

Sandy Wright's ubiquitous "Shining Star" swings along nicely, with a nonchalant deference, and Wright is covered again on "Wild Hurricane," which takes a rather circumspect view of life's troubles. The carefree pop infusion of Boo Hewerdine's "Sweet Honey In The Rock" provides the albums lightest moment, whilst "O' A' The Airts" demonstrates Drever's canny skill for bringing an unpretentious contemporary air to traditional material.

Set to the sprightly traditional tune, "Penan Den," and performed as a duet with Heidi Talbot, "The Banks Of The Nile" receives an illuminating makeover that provides more in the way of hope than despair. Another duet, this time with Karine Polwart, is on Hamish Henderson's resplendent "Freedom Come a' Ye". The Drever/Polwart partnership is an unsurprisingly well attuned affair, and when you consider the august beauty of Karine's Fairest Floo'er album, it's tempting to wonder of the delicious fruits that could be borne from a further exploration of this alliance.

Drever's skill boils down to the fact that he can take songs from wide and varied sources and imbue them with a character that is recognisably his own; he achieves this in an almost genre-less manner that is likely to further assist his wide appeal. Kris Drever may well be the best friend a song could ever have.

Visit Kris' web site here!

Visit Kris' MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Sandy Wright - 'The Songs Of Sandy Wright'

2010-02-28T20:37:00.002Z

Sandy Wright, The Songs Of Sandy Wright (Navigator Records, 2010)

Even though he is now sixty years of age, and has been a much-loved character on the Edinburgh music scene for many years now, Sandy Wright will be a new name to many people. He could well be Scotland's answer to the great American masters of music, such as Johnny Cash or Kris Kristofferson, writing songs that offer both heartwarming beauty, and a gritty realism, but most importantly songs that are always rooted deeply and honestly in real life. In the same way that Cash or Kristofferson perform with a resolutely American character, Sandy has a sound imbued with a distinctly Scottish personality. Sandy's songs have a soul bruised by the battles of every day life, yet a heart that bursts with the warmth of pride and self-consciousness. This album, Sandy's debut solo recording, showcases a small selection of intimate recordings, taken from a likely plentiful bounty.

Whether his approach is bucolic or sentimental, Sandy has a knack of really hitting the right nerve, in terms of both lyric and delivery. The uplifting tenor of "My Shining Star" celebrates a friend or loved one who provides a timely respite from the depths of despair, whilst "In The Summertime" is an affectionate dream of summertime romance, with Sandy's lyrics calling all the senses to action. "53rd State Of America" finds Sandy wearily lamenting the overpowering effect of American values and culture on our native shores, and on "Whores And Bitches," he can be heard descending into an impassioned maelstrom of frustration and anger: "nobody scores like bitches and whores, spent all my riches on whores and bitches."

You will also find deliciously simple vignettes of ordinary life and ordinary people, that illuminate with a fondness that avoids cloying sentimentality. "This Old House" pays weary homage to some shambolic bricks and mortar, drawing comparisons with a similarly shambolic heart, whilst "Tin Badge" portrays resignation in the face of a more individual battle: "I'm hanging up my faded hat, and my worn out leather skin."

That Sandy's songwriting has been a well-kept secret closely coveted by many luminaries of the folk world, is well evidenced on the accompanying disc, containing interpretations of Sandy's songs from the likes of Chris Wood, Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, and Kris Drever; some of these songs you may recognise as favourites from popular albums by the aforementioned artists. Taking the crown here is Michelle Burke's take on "Hey Mama," an unusual perspective of a death-row inmate, filled with the pain of regret and helplessness, and written with the utmost integrity and perception: this is a perfect example of just how Sandy instils his lyrics with the very lifeblood of humanity, no matter how challenging the subject.

Now the secret's out of the bag, there is of course no stopping the frenzied word of mouth that will doubtless heap belated praise on Sandy Wright. It seems inappropriate to suggest that a man of such experience, and now in his sixties, shows promise, but this collection of songs is certain to provide the folk world with a character of instant legend.

Visit Sandy on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Krista Detor - 'Chocolate Paper Suites'

2010-02-14T12:18:00.002Z

Krista Detor, Chocolate Paper Suites (Corazong Records, 2010)

Krista Detor is one of those slow-burning artists, who quietly turns out albums brimming with classy and engaging songs, portraying a view of life that is sometimes wry, and always thoughtful. Listeners fall at her feet following their first encounter, and whole audiences find themselves quickly under Krista's spell, eating out of the palm of her hand. Soon, she will dominate the world, but for now a growing and adoring army of followers can enjoy her latest efforts, and find much in the way of further ammunition to assist in their evangelisation of the uninitiated.

Chocolate Paper Suites is not without a certain quirkiness, with the fifteen songs gathered into five suites. The themes that bind the suites, or even the very reason for their being, aren't always immediately obvious but this only adds to the hypnotic enigma that Krista instils within her craft.

"Rich Man's Life" opens the album with an ominously pounding rhythm section and a tenacious string arrangement that adds further menace. Krista's vocals bring with them a degree of scorn that makes you wonder whether she's really cut out for the rich man's life that her lyrics crave. By the third track, "Recklessness & Rust," Krista is firmly in her familiar territory, accompanied by just her own piano and a hammered dulcimer, delivering a healthy dose of realism that should feel like a slap around the face, but instead feels like a gentle arm round the shoulder ("everything returns to dust, everything returns to rust, just like the buckle on your shoe, soon be copper coloured too"). Combined with a view of the world that has an undeniably childlike wonder ("waltzing angels whispering secrets to the alabaster"), Krista manages to fashion a sense of candour and comfort, that results in an unavoidable and unreserved surrender of your heart and mind to her bewitching spell.

Krista also has her fair share of jazz-soaked, sultry chanteuse moments, as evidenced here by "Teeter-Totter on a Star;" the way she gently attacks each syllable yet hangs on to notes with a dreamy insouciance, really is the ultimate musical seduction. When she's not soothing or seducing, Krista can also whip up a manic frenzy, and her frantic cries for cigarettes and black coffee on "Middle of a Breakdown" are indeed an edgy performance. The most poignant moments are generally where Krista's vocals are to the fore, against a sparse backdrop of piano and guitar, and where she appears to be imparting a plea to a friend or loved one: witness "Deliver Me," a cautionary "told you so" tale of unrequited love, or the gentle reminder provided by "A Hundred Years More" that time is slipping away whilst hopes and dreams remain much discussed yet ultimately unrealised.

A common factor throughout Krista's songs is the thoughtful intelligence that belies her lyrics, and this could be no more apparent than on the Darwin Songhouse suite. Composed and performed during a week-long retreat with seven other song-writers in a five-hundred-year-old Shropshire farmhouse, the three songs are soaked in the history of the Darwinian era, the challenging depth that defined Darwin's work, and a vivid evocation of the characters who occupied parts of Darwin's life. "Clock Of The World" is worthy of particular attention, contrasting the trivialities of bourgeois society with the inevitable and perpetual cycle of life: birth, marriage and death.

It's now been two years since I first fell for the veritable charms of this transatlantic siren of song, yet Krista's songs regularly catch my emotions off-guard; they behold an immediate and affecting impact that demands emotional engagement, and rewards with a perceptive and calming rapport. Chocolate Paper Suites persists beautifully, refining this delicious and distinct recipe.

Visit Krista's web site here!

Visit Krista on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Bellevue Rendezvous - 'Salamander'

2010-02-09T23:32:00.002Z

Bellevue Rendezvous, Salamander (Journeyman, 2010)

The artwork for Salamander greets you with a vibrant warmth: a glowing and alluring amalgam of reds and oranges that is both classy and intense. It is therefore the perfect visual embodiment of the aural splendour that awaits the listener, for the music presented on Salamander is all of these things... and so much more. On this, their second recording, you get a real sense that the trio have really hit their stride, finding a shared energy and rapport that undoubtedly results in some of the most spellbinding music you're likely to hear this year.

Billing themselves as "an acoustic trio with a broadly European repertoire," Bellevue Rendezvous' success can be partly attributed to an absence of musical boundaries, that enables them to draw from a diverse and stimulating palette, with an intoxicating array of rhythm and melody that holds the listener's attention. Gavin Marwick's fluid fiddle playing provides a nimble agility that is perfectly juxtaposed against the full-bodied depth of Ruth Morris' nyckelharpa, whilst the punchy rhythms of Cameron Robson's cittern and guitar provide an intricate framework that binds their overall sound.

The opening set of tunes is an animated affair with an instant and undeniable appeal; contemporary and traditional Swedish tunes meld to wonderful effect, with the three instruments entwined in a racy and intricate alliance that lasts for a mouthwatering eight minutes. This is followed by "Hanter Dro," a dance tune from Brittany with a sterner, more measured melody, and an assuredly classy presence.

Gavin Marwick's own creative ingenuity is revealed on a number of occasions on Salamander, with his tunes absorbing a broad range of traditional influences. "Firedance" perfectly captures the personal sadness and adrenalin of the Irish immigration that influences the composition, whilst "Trip To Uppsala" depicts the excitement and anticipation of a much happier journey.

"Makedonsko Devojche," (Macedonian Girl) is an achingly emotive piece of music, with a tranquility that effortlessly evokes an intense montage of reluctant sorrow, quiet strength, and reassuring beauty. The potency and empathy instilled in this interpretation is overwhelming in its meticulous detail, and a real testament to the remarkable calibre of the three musicians. Salamander retires gently and gracefully with the Scandinavian "Herding Song," leaving you in a state of awe, and eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Bellevue Rendezvous' pan-European ramble.

Salamander should cement the position of Bellevue Rendezvous as one of the foremost talents in traditional music, with a sound that stands out as truly distinct and imaginative. The opportunities for a band that truly embrace the full gamut of European traditional music is seemingly endless, and in the hands of Bellevue Rendezvous it would doubtless be an exhilarating journey on which to embark.

Visit Bellevue Rendezvous on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Tristan Le Govic - 'Awen'

2010-01-12T20:27:00.002Z

Tristan Le Govic, Awen (BNC Productions, 2009)

Awen is the second album from Brittany's Tristan Le Govic, an album of harp music with a beguiling enigma, and charming subtlety. The harp is an instrument that is fast becoming my favourite; I'm drawn to its winsome combination of sensitivity and nimble complexity, which are both facets that Le Govic demonstrates deftly. Borrowing from across the various Celtic traditions, the thread that binds Awen is telling throughout though never clichéd, offering tunes from Ireland and Scotland as well as Le Govic's native Brittany, alongside a selection of original material.

A relentless repetition of low notes, plucked with a determined vigour create a menacing undercurrent to the opening track, "Dañs Plin," with a persistent rhythm that maintains a degree of intimidation right through to the close of the track. There is an almost palpable degree of anticipation prior to each note on Le Govic's own composition, "Le Songe d'Orianne," played with a poise that allows you to relish the build and fade of each individual note that lend themselves to this beautifully flowing and lyrical air.

Le Govic explores the diversity within the Celtic traditions with a couple of Irish slides providing a spirited frivolity, to be followed by the more stark determination of the traditional Scottish reel, "On The High Road To Linton." There is also a Scandinavian detour on "Ar Vag," Le Govic's own variation on a traditional Swedish tune, with its demanding melody and less intuitive time signature.

Ultimately it is Le Govic's own compositions that leave a lasting impression, and in particular the intensity with which Le Govic is able to express a sense of place and emotion. "The first golden ray of light coming through a sleepy forest after an autumnal rain" is the brief description that accompanies "Glaz." These words alone conjure up powerful imagery, an imagery that is truly heightened by the evocative eloquence of the melody that they inspired.

There is much to enjoy about Awen, and Le Govic's world is certainly a pleasant and rewarding place in which to spend some time.

Visit Tristan's web site here!

Visit Tristan on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan - 'Adoon Winding Nith'

2010-01-04T23:26:00.001Z

Emily Smith & Jamie McClennan,
Adoon Winding Nith (White Fall Records, 2009)

Released to coincide with the celebrations in 2009 of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, Emily and Jamie offer a collection of songs that shine with utmost clarity. At the root of this is almost certainly Emily's flawlessly beautiful voice, and coupled with the animated and uncluttered arrangements fashioned by the duo, Adoon Winding Nith makes for an enjoyable and engaging recording. A steady depth is provided by the double bass of Duncan Lyall, but all the other instruments are played by Emily and Jamie themselves. Predominantly, this involves the punchy rhythms of Jamie's guitar and the unconstrained fervour of his fiddle, whilst Emily plays the accordion with her customary seamless ease.

Burns' words draw attention to both the playfulness and longing of love and lust, emotions that Emily and Jamie flood with life in their colourful interpretations. "Silver Tassie" tends to the darker side, telling of a soldier preparing to embark on a war-bound ship, allowing Emily to display the full force of her captivating and emotive vocals as she wraps them around Burns' lovelorn words to stunning effect. A more joyous celebration of love is found in "The Plooman," with Emily's sprightly vocals seemingly dancing with joy alongside Jamie's spirited guitar and fiddle accompaniment. And so they continue, moving effortlessly between exuberance and woe.

A fondness for the subtle features of nature are oft present in Burns' writing, as a defining backdrop or an allusion to a more mortal beauty. There are a few songs here that deliver to this promise, with the wild birds, spreading leaves and flooers of "Craigieburn Wood," or the blooming heather in "Gala Water." These scenic hints define the landscape in which Burns' words flourish, and this might well be an influence on Emily's own writing, as she displays a similarly well-trained eye to the finer details of the natural world around her.

Many of the songs featured on Adoon Winding Nith were passed down to Emily through the oral tradition that was very much a part of her Borders upbringing. The sleeve notes include a brief commentary on each song, as well as a useful glossary to aid your understanding of Burns' Scots dialect. Emily's reference material is also quoted, reassuring you that this is no passing whim, but a subject about which Emily is well versed; indeed, there may well be no better Scottish singer to reinterpret the words of Burns. Between them, Emily and Jamie have fashioned a fine album that demonstrates the enduring relevance of Burns' words, whilst adding much to their beauty and character.

Visit Emily's web site here!

Visit Jamie's web site here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Chris Wood - 'Handmade Life'

2010-01-02T23:20:00.005Z

Chris Wood, Handmade Life (R.U.F Records, 2009)

You will be hard pressed to find another recording that is quite so attuned with public sentiment in these times of mistrust and indignation. Throughout Handmade Life, Wood homes straight in on the prevailing unrest, and a potential aftermath that involves much soul searching. This is however no brash soapbox rant, with Wood avoiding patronising arrogance, and opting for a gentler, conversational style. An intimate and considered accompaniment comes courtesy of a four-piece band comprising drums, trombone, cello, and guitar, played with a restraint that serves to carry Wood's narrative along on a harmonious current.

Opening with the autobiographical backwards glance of "No Honey Tongued Sonnet," Wood reflects on a misunderstood childhood, recalling one valuable lesson from his education: "the one thing I did learn in English is she favours the tongue that is true." This is a lesson to which Wood must have paid particular attention, as his writing throughout Handmade Life is dripping with truth, albeit an uncomfortable one at times. On "Spitfires" Wood takes that most British of emblems and its associated wartime grit and determination, rebuking modern-day right-wing extremists for hijacking Britain's patriotism in the name of their own cause, mischievously reminding that the sound of the spitfire evokes "the song of how they hung a little fascist out to dry." There is no overt aggression in these lyrics, the seed is just planted and the imagery nurtured, though you're left in no doubt as to Wood's resentment.

"Hollow Point" gives the nation's shame a good airing, recounting the shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes. The focus on the apparent ordinariness of De Menezes' commute to work, blinkered to the shocking events that were unfolding around him, heightens the discomfort, with an ominous tension building towards the inevitable and tragic denouement, and lyrics that seek answers yet find only exasperation. Providing a universal call to revolution, "Caesar" seems most likely aimed at those British politicians who have been filling their pockets at the expense of the electorate, and their incredulous placing of blame on "the system," a system that they created: "did you see how all the clowns were looking fatter as they tore the big top down?".

There is a further call for revolution in "The Grand Correction," where Wood casts an eye over some of the inequalities and inevitable failings that have given rise to the recent collapse of financial markets, astutely tracing the rot back to the greed instilled in society by Thatcher's government of the 1980s, and seeking little more than a return to honesty and common sense. Wood himself seems happy to accept a personal "grand correction," alluded to in "My Darling's Downsized," a return to simpler, happier times that finds Wood extolling the virtues of a life with less material worries and a greater emphasis on nurturing a personal relationship.

This is music and sentiment of which a nation should rightly be proud. Wood writes with an understated poignancy and intelligence that genuinely gives the listener something to think about, whilst also offering a glimpse of what a better world might look like.

Visit Chris Wood's web site here!

Visit Chris Wood on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Inge Thomson - 'Shipwrecks & Static'

2009-12-22T23:41:00.003Z

Inge Thomson, Shipwrecks & Static (Navigator Records, 2009)

Shipwrecks & Static is the début solo album from Inge Thomson, who is likely to be familiar to many as part of the creative force behind Scottish four-piece Harem Scarem, and familiar to many more as part of Karine Polwart's band, where her musical resourcefulness and incomparably beautiful harmony vocals prove as big a draw as Polwart herself. Inge hails from the Shetland Islands' Fair Isle, and with her roots firmly embedded in such a remote island community, it is hardly surprising that Inge should create an album that is heavily influenced by the nature and geography that dominates such a community.

Bringing together a myriad of familiar instruments from the typical folk-musicians arsenal, Inge turns her back on convention and explores the far and unfamiliar reaches of their sonic capabilities, marrying them with sounds that may be less familiar to the folk genre, and displaying an admirable ingenuity in doing so. A thread of "pings, tings, glitches and nonsense" (Inge's words!) permeates the music, placed with a canny intuition and often lending a quirky character. There is a beguiling disjointedness about the melodies, with the various sound segments held together in arrangements that offer commodious breadth and depth. Shipwrecks & Static certainly rewards the patient and inquisitive listener, with potential for each visit to whisk you off to a different plane of sound. This really feels like three-dimensional music with a physical presence that you can almost visualise; it's like you could walk around in it.

The deliciously mesmerising "Cycle" incorporates a repetitively seductive mantra that adds to the cyclical nature of the piece, augmented by similarly oscillating melodies on banjo and accordion, that weave in and out of the ethereal soundscape. There's some fun to be found on the mischievous-sounding opening track, "John," with a playful accordion arrangement and lyrics that seem to tell the story of an enthusiastically sociable character: "get us home before we're to anaesthetised to think." Both have discernibly different personalities, yet carry the same sound DNA that permeates Shipwrecks & Static. "Where Do I Sign?" wryly recalls the early days of a relationship giving way to the realisation of something more enduring, whilst "Cradle Song," a Louis MacNeice poem set to music by Tim Dalling, provides an evocative narrative, matched to a suitably spellbinding arrangement.

There is a conversational structure to the more conventional "How Far?," a beguiling duet with Rory Campbell, where a sparse arrangement allows the understated beauty of the lovelorn lyrics to really capture your imagination. This is a story that could apply to two lovers, or a family awaiting the return of their seafaring loved ones, or just the community spirit of a people whose lives are bound by the uncertainty that the sea can behold. It's a song that is clever in both its simplicity, and its universal application to love, loss and longing.

With Shipwrecks & Static, Inge has created a piece of work that can boast genuine originality; it's an atmospheric collection of music that succeeds in being both challenging and utterly absorbing.

Visit Inge's web site here!

Visit Inge on MySpace here!

9Bach - Welsh Soul Music

2009-12-08T21:26:00.004Z

There is something markedly exciting happening to Welsh traditional song, and it's not necessarily surfacing from where one might expect. Driven by an unbounded love and enthusiasm for a collection of songs from the Welsh tradition, yet free from the constrains that might result from an immersion in the traditional music scene, 9Bach create genuinely original and vibrant interpretations that hold true to the spirit of the songs, whilst allowing them room to grow and reach out to a whole new audience. At the heart of 9Bach's ethos are husband and wife, Lisa Jên and Martin Hoyland, who come from backgrounds that are as diverse as the musical styles they bring together.

Lisa, having spent the years since her teens as an actress, barely considers herself to be a musician, despite having worked on music projects with Gruff Rhys and The Big Leaves: 'I've never been in bands really at all, and it's not been my lifelong ambition to do so, but I've always sang with other bands; people are more likely to know me as an actress. I was often around studios as a teenager, but nothing that was my own project'. And for Lisa, there is certainly no musical history that has seen her immersed in the traditional cultures of Wales: 'My taste in music is really odd, when I was younger I used to listen to a lot of music that my Dad would listen to, like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. As a teenager I was in to Björk, happy hardcore and techno, hip-hop and soul, but never really anything that was in the charts'. She is however quick to assert her passion for the songs to which she brings so much colour and character, with a visible enthusiasm and intensity: 'I am obsessed with old traditional Welsh folk songs. Some of them I've known and I have grown up with. I'd love to say there's some romantic story and that my Grandmother used to sing them to me, but I come from a very non-musical family. Some songs I've known since singing them in school or at drama school, and some of them I've taught myself from old folk books. I'm on a quest now to find some more obscure songs. I always say that we're very lucky as a nation to have these songs, because they are beautiful, and some of them are true stories. I get quite drawn in to these songs about these poor women who fell pregnant out of wedlock and were rejected by their family, and ended up killing themselves; I fantasise a bit about being these people'. When you're in the company of Lisa talking about these songs it's almost impossible not to share in her passion, but you really have to see her perform the songs to see how uncompromisingly she inhabits the lyrics and lives the drama, doubtlessly drawing on her acting skills, and undeniably aided by her powerfully evocative voice.

Despite growing up in North West Wales, an area that takes great pride in its Welsh identity, and where the majority of inhabitants will be first-language Welsh speakers, Lisa expresses some discomfort with the way in which aspects of Welsh traditional culture are zealously protected: 'We've had a few people who don't really get what we're doing and think we're spoiling the songs. As a child I was forced to sing in Eisteddfods and I wasn't enjoying it because I was never successful singing the folk songs, because they'd say things like "she's got a nice voice but she's not keeping to the rules, she's taking her breath in the wrong place, and not holding that note for long enough." And I just thought that this was bollocks, this is Welsh soul music, I should be able to do what I want and interpret them how I want'. Ultimately, it's this distance from the cultural establishment that seem to allow Lisa the freedom to breath new vigour in to the traditional material, and to invest in her performances a very personal and palpable spirit.

Adding further to the musical divergence is Martin Hoyland, hailing from London, and until recently a complete stranger to the traditions and cultures of Wales: 'For me it's a massive departure. My background is rock music or indie. Lisa started singing me these folk songs and with an idea that she wanted to change them, move away from how they're traditionally performed. It wasn't really a plan to make a band, Lisa just said "listen to these songs," and I was amazed by them. When Lisa sang them to me, as a guitarist, it demanded to me straight away to pick my guitar up and play along, it just inspired me, the music was just going round in my head from listening to the melodies. I was amazed by these beautiful melodies and even though I didn't understand the lyrics, I could feel the emotion in the song. The only thing I could think of was that it wasn't enough to just listen to it, I had to get my guitar out straight away'. Buoyed by Lisa's enthusiasm, Martin has been instrumental in fashioning the dynamic arrangements that breathe new life in to songs of old. Bringing together the rock sensibilities afforded by Martin's electric guitar, a prominent rhythm section, and augmented by the more traditional sounds of Esyllt Glyn Jones' sparkling harp, 9Bach present a powerful fusion of the old and new.

Their departure from a more conventional traditional sound, possibly coupled with the fascination of singing in a language other than English, means that 9Bach are well received outside of Wales, in the wider British or international music scenes where Wales isn't quite as well represented as some of their Celtic cousins, as Martin concurs: 'It's surprising that what we think are amazing folk songs in Wales, aren't as represented on the international stage, as Scottish and Irish music is. When you look at big festival line-ups, you wonder where all the Welsh artists are'. Martin perhaps feels a particular affinity with audiences outside Wales, as he well understands how these songs were able to move him: 'I think people listen more to the whole thing. I think me not understanding the lyrics has made the arrangements of the songs maybe more interesting or more emotive because you're trying to get across more. When we were first working on the songs Lisa said that somehow the arrangements I was coming up with were fitting the lyrics, so somehow the message is getting across even when there's no understanding of the lyrics'. Lisa has different reasons for her enjoyment of playing outside of Wales, referring back to the discomfort she alluded to earlier with the Eisteddfod movement: 'maybe this is where my unease with performing to a Welsh audience comes from, it probably still makes me feel a bit tense. I feel we get a better reaction outside of Wales. On a totally personal level, I don't like doing gigs to a Welsh audience. I'm not saying we haven't had good gigs in Wales, I just prefer to perform to a non Welsh-speaking audience, because I think there's more appreciation there. I usually explain what's happening in the songs, and you always feel that a non Welsh-speaking audience really listen then to the actual song, whereas a Welsh audience might have heard these songs before and just switch off before even starting to listen to them'.

As a first-time listener to 9Bach, before I was aware of the stories behind the songs and the band, I just remember sitting there in total awe of these wonderfully expansive arrangements, of the clarity of enunciation inherent in Lisa Jên's delivery, and the raw passion that she evokes on stage. 9Bach may well prove to be as influential to Welsh music as Fairport Convention were to English music with their 1969 folk-rock opus, Liege and Lief, or they may well take Welsh language traditional song to the international stage in the same way that Capercaillie did with their inspired interpretations of Gaelic music. Their eponymous début album certainly lays down the foundations for further exploration of this unique path that they have carved out for themselves, and Martin certainly seems to suggest that this is a foundation that they will build on: 'When we were working on the first album, we thought we'll do our own songs on the next album, but I think the last few songs we recorded convinced us that there's still a bit of mileage and we're still exploring'.

Visit 9Bach on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Pùr - 'The Lassies' Reply'

2009-11-09T23:43:00.004Z

Pùr, The Lassies Reply (MacDug Music, 2009)

Bringing something different to this year's homecoming celebrations, The Lassies' Reply is a contemporary interpretation of a selection of songs by Robert Burns. What makes this recording special, if not unique, is that Burns' work is performed in a combination of Sots and Gaelic, with Roderick Macdonald translating Burns' original words in to the Gaelic tongue. Pùr themselves are the Gaelic singer, Katie Mackenzie, and the fiddler and Scots singer Shona Donaldson, who can both lay claim to being amongst the brightest young talent on the Scottish traditional music scene. Both ladies have voices that possess an unending beauty, and their voices alone would make this recording an utter pleasure to listen to.

Adding much to the listening pleasure are the graceful arrangements and measured production work of Irvin Duguid, lending his customary distinguished feel to the overall sound, and deploying some of the best of Scotland's traditional music talent, who provide a replete and absorbing aural palette from which Duguid chooses so well.

Opening with "My Heart's In The Highlands," Katie and Shona exchange verses over a classy backdrop of strings, Irvin Duguid's piano, and the gorgeous clàrsach of Mary Ann Kennedy. This is a stylish, sumptuous arrangement, surpassed only by the chiming clarity of the vocals. But just as you might be thinking that the tone for the album is set with this opening number, Shona takes the lead on an inventive, upbeat rework of "John Anderson, My Jo," with John Goldie's nimble guitar being the perfect foil for James Mackintosh's pulsating percussion. There is a similarly dark, contemporary edge to "The Slaves' Lament," with a driving bass line that results in an enticingly catchy arrangement, and also boasts some undeniably cool harmonica playing.

Even Katie's Gaelic interpretation of "Ae Fond Kiss" (Aon Phòg Ghràidh) is delivered with a bold, carefree swing that rescues the song from the routine humdrum with which it is oft marred. There is a lively rebirth for the Scots/Gaelic fusion of "Green Grow The Rashes, O" (Chan eil ach cùram air gach làimh), that captures well the joyous spirit of Burns' lyrics, and Katie's beautifully lucid and intimate reading of "My Luv' Is Like A Red, Red Rose," exquisitely imparts the sentiments of a delicate romance.

Well, the girls have certainly done good! The Lassies' Reply is an album that draws together several strands of Scotland's rich traditions, and offers genuinely fresh interpretations of Burns' work, with a broad appeal. The accompanying publicity suggests that "if Robert Burns were alive in 2009, these are The Lassies he would be writing about." With beauty in such abundance, there are surely plenty of modern-day gentleman wordsmiths who'd be more than happy to oblige in Burns' absence.

Visit Pùr on MySpace here!

Visit the MacDug Music web site here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Julie Fowlis - 'Uam'

2009-11-02T23:35:00.001Z

Julie Fowlis, Uam (Shoeshine Records, 2009)

I've been following the career of Julie Fowlis for a few years now, and I greet each album release and gig with a certain degree of anticipation, and a fear that Ms Fowlis may slip from the undoubtedly high standards that she achieved from the outset, with her beautiful debut album, mar a tha mo chridhe, and her bolder follow-up, cuilidh. Julie's third album, Uam, puts me firmly in my place, with a slap round the face for having even the faintest of doubts! With Uam, Julie has indeed created another album of much finery, yet one that is distinct from her earlier releases. If the beauty of mar a tha mo chridhe was rooted in its fresh innocence and naivety, and the beauty of cuilidh owed much to an exuberance, buoyed by the interest generated by her debut album, then the beauty of Uam comes from a feeling of assurance; there is a sense that Julie is very much at ease here.

So, what's changed? Well, in many ways, nothing has changed. The strength of Uam still lies in the beauty of Julie's voice, and the manner with which she is able to instil in a song the subtler nuances of character and emotion, that reach out to the listener regardless of their linguistic grasp of Gaelic. One change that lends the album a certain degree of consistency, and doubtlessly adds to the feel of ease and togetherness, is the presence of the musicians that have formed Julie's touring band since the release of cuilidh: Éamon Doorley (bouzouki), Duncan Chisholm (fiddle), Tony Byrne (guitar), and Martin O'Neill (bodhrán). These guys are all fine musicians, with a dexterity and subtlety that do much to lift Julie's voice and further illuminate the songs and tunes.

Over the last few years, the success that Julie has enjoyed has allowed her the opportunity to be involved in various music projects, that have meant working with some of the folk scene's celebrated and legendary monikers, a few of whom appear on Uam. So we have the delights of Phil Cunningham, Eddi Reader, Jerry Douglas and Sharon Shannon making cameo appearances with their distinctive contributions, though with a modesty typical of Julie Fowlis, none of these contributions could be considered gratuitous, with each performer fitting seamlessly on Uam.

Of all the musicians who contribute to Uam, there is none more worthy of particular attention than Mary Smith. A generous acknowledgement of a singer that Julie much admires, Julie and Mary come together on "Hé gràdh, hó gràdh" and "Bodachan cha phòs mi." To hear two generations of singers sharing these songs is to witness the tradition being kept alive, by the sharing and passing on of songs and tunes.

It is still an arresting experience to hear Julie singing against minimal accompaniment, and there are a number of such moments to savour on Uam. "A Mhic Dhùghaill 'ic Ruairidh" finds Julie's voice pitted against the brawn of Allan MacDonald's highland bagpipes for an intense tale of love and tragedy, whilst on "Hò bha mi, hé bha mi," Julie sings together with Mary Smith and Allan MacDonald on a stark a cappella night visiting song. Songs like these lend Uam a traditional feel, whilst the punchy "Thig am bàta" allows for a more current feel, courtesy of Martin O'Neill's pulsating bodhrán rhythms.

Whether your preference is for the more traditional sounds, or the subtle contemporary leanings, one cannot deny that Julie exudes sheer class in whatever she tackles. For me, "Bothan Àirigh am Bràigh Raithneach" has to be the prime exemplar of Julie's elegance on Uam. Sung over the most delightful Phil Cunningham piano arrangement, and lifted from the conventional sounds of the tradition by the rare sound of Julie's oboe, this really is a song of outstanding allure.

The rest of the album bears the fruit of a diverse selection: a lively Gaelic/English duet with Eddi Reader on "Wind and Rain," the Breton flavours of "Rugadh mi 'n teis meadhan na mara," and a sprightly tune or two to lift the spirits.

Uam translates as 'from me' and the choosing of this name is just one small, but thoughtful reminder that Julie's music remains a personal and precious gift that she wishes to share with us all. The importance of this to Julie is further highlighted by the extensive liner notes with plentiful translations and explanations. It's unlikely that there are many better gifts that one could receive.

You can find Julie's web site here!

Or why not visit Julie's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Show Of Hands - 'Arrogance Ignorance & Greed'

2009-10-17T23:21:00.002+01:00

Show Of Hands, Arrogance Ignorance & Greed

The relentless brilliance of this formidable partnership shows no sign of decline with this, their twentieth album, delivering a forceful blow, with a rhetoric and dialogue that connects unreservedly with the mood of the times. Arrogance Ignorance & Greed is an album replete with anger juxtaposed against intimate soul-searching, sometimes exhibiting sinister overtones weighed down by the weary mistrust of an increasingly dishonorable world.

The title track deals short shrift to those who bought about the credit crunch, contrasting the fat cats who escaped with their pensions and worldly possessions, with the sombre proletariat, left behind to deal with the all too real consequences: "you're on your yacht, we're on our knees." Steve Knightley seemingly looks on in dismay and disbelief on "A Thief," where the looting of the stricken Napoli on Devon's coast, showed how easily the unsavoury side of everyday folk can surface, causing Knightley to question the values of the public: "scratch Joe Public, what's underneath / a looter, and a pirate and a thief." Political musings are not confined solely to the here and now, with an impassioned reading of Bob Dylan's "Señor," casting a scathing eye over US attitudes towards Latin America in the 1970s.

"IED: Science Or Nature" is a devastatingly effective marriage of personal and global tragedy, looking at split-second, random events that can shatter the worlds of those caught in their wake, be it the biological clock ticking away in our bodies, the lapsed concentration of a fatigued motorist, or the indiscriminate target of a rooftop sniper. Knightley sings with an eerie precision and resolve on a song that puts the fear of God in you, the more you dwell on its lyrics.

A couple of the nation's traditional treasures receive due attention, with strikingly contrasting results. The opening track, "Lowlands," is presented as a hauntingly understated piece with beautiful vocal harmonies to the fore, whilst "The Keys Of Canterbury" emerges as a rousing, dark tale of great splendour, with a stylishly contemporary arrangement. The latter is performed as a duet between Knightley's robust vocals and the silky, sultry vocals of Jackie Oates.

Whilst the attitude and anger tend to take centre stage, there are more reflective moments on Arrogance Ignorance & Greed that carry equal power. Phil Beer's evocative reading of Peter Gabriel's "Secret World" showcases his remarkably sensitive vocals, while Knightley's "Drift" casts a perceptive eye at the isolation and helplessness that are endured when spending prolonged periods of time in hospital. "The Man I Was" delves deep in to the emotions of the male psyche, looking back with regret, and trying hard to convince a loved one that those reckless days are indeed consigned to history: "it's over now it breaks my heart because / the man you see is not the man I was."

Stu Hannah has done a splendid job with the production, giving equal prominence to the contemporary rhythms of Knightley's rock-attitude delivery, and the stylish acoustic ornamentations of Phil Beer. That an album manages to deliver such volume whilst retaining such a vibrant, acoustic soul is a real accomplishment, and allows for a pleasurable listen, with bountiful detail to admire.

With Arrogance Ignorance & Greed, Show of Hands undoubtedly reaffirm their position as one of Britain's most adept musical forces, with Steve Knightley's song writing warranting particular praise for its social conscience and emotive empathy. This is music of which a nation should justly be proud. Have these guys been knighted yet?

Visit the Show Of Hands web site here!

Visit the Show Of Hands MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Michelle Burke - 'Pulling Threads'

2009-10-11T22:19:00.001+01:00

Michelle Burke, Pulling Threads (Kilcronat Records, 2009)

Pulling Threads is the charming début album from Irish singer, Michelle Burke, who is currently lead singer with the long established group, Cherish The Ladies. The album offers a collection of beautifully arranged material, wrapped up in an assured femininity. Produced by Lau's Aidan O'Rourke, and featuring an array of the finest musicians from the Scottish folk scene, Pulling Threads leaves nothing to chance, with arrangements that embrace the material's folk roots without shying away from more creative leanings. Classy piano melodies sit alongside unpretentious acoustic guitar, with occasional luscious string arrangements, all perfectly understated, and contributing perfectly to the art of both singer and writer.

The star attraction is of course Burke's effortless and placid voice, with its distinctive Irish diction. You really get the impression that Burke is holding plenty back here, and that she could really belt out a tune should she wish. Instead we hear beautifully reserved and refined vocal performances, with Burke exploring subtle nuances in both the melodies and pronunciation of the lyrics.

Burke's keen ear for a good song pays dividends throughout. "Hey Mama," by Edinburgh song writer Sandy Wright, is the perfect blend of tenderness, heartache and hopelessness, with the harmonies of Karine Polwart and Kris Drever lending a rousing, spiritual chorus. Burke's lead vocals ensure that this story of a death row inmate is treated with utmost dignity, painting a harrowing picture of despair and regret. With the right exposure, this song might well be Burke's calling card.

Songs by esteemed writers such as Bob Dylan and Tom Waits also get Burke's sensitive treatment. Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" is successfully tamed and its full poetic beauty is realised with Burke's evocative reading over a fluid piano. Waits' "Broken Bicycles" is treated to a more fragmented arrangement that gives a haunting edge, befitting of the lyrics, and allowing Burke to turn in a vocal performance laced with a pensive torment.

Burke's measured expressiveness lends itself well to traditional material, and the opening track, "Molly Bawn," is much enlightened by her lucid interpretation, evoking the stark and brutal tragedy of the story. In contrast, while not being traditional, although dating from the late nineteenth century, "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" finds Burke at her most tender, with a heartfelt reading over Kris Drever's acoustic guitar that rescues the song from its habitually clichéd associations.

Pulling Threads celebrates the emergence of an impressive interpreter of songs, that will likely have song writers around the globe queueing up to get the Burke treatment. I think I want to hear her have a crack at every song in my CD collection!

Visit Michelle's web site here

Visit Michelle's MySpace page here

ALBUM REVIEW: Wendy Arrowsmith - 'Seeds Of Fools'

2009-09-22T22:43:00.001+01:00

Wendy Arrowsmith, Seeds Of Fools

Wendy Arrowsmith moves forward in leaps and bounds on her second album, Seeds of Fools, sounding ever more comfortable and confident. Exploring the lower registers of her voice, Wendy reveals gorgeously moody and stirring tones, that are put to particularly good use when instilling life in the six traditional songs included here. This is evident from the opening track, a stunning interpretation of "The Blacksmith," where Wendy manages to instil equal amounts of longing and rage. The Child ballad "Cruel Mother" receives a similarly rich and dramatic vocal treatment, with Rebekah Findlay's haunting fiddle arrangement and the ominously menacing beat of Joolz Cavell's congas furthering the brooding atmosphere.

Wendy's own song writing is also much to the fore on Seeds of Fools, and the well-chosen title track is a perfect example of the frankness and sense of justice with which Wendy writes, telling of the passing of prejudices from one generation to the next, all in the name of love: "prejudice is like a seed when watered, it grows strong / so mothers love your children, and teach them all the rules / help them sow the seeds of love / not reap the seeds of fools." Wendy expresses her own motherly instincts in her lullaby "Counting Dolphins," punctuating her soothing vocals with a gently hypnotic mandolin. "Sleep Well 'till Morning" is a similar song of comfort for the son of a fisherman, where Wendy manages to write a song that skilfully bridges the gap between the traditional and contemporary.

I favoured the tracks with minimal accompaniment where Wendy's voice doesn't strain to reach over the instrumentation, and she is able to achieve a more relaxed vocal. In particular, Wendy delivers a wonderful unaccompanied performance of Burns' "John Anderson" that demonstrates both control and serenity, offering a beautiful stillness and possessing almost hymn-like qualities.

Seeds of Fools is sure to command further attention, with both Wendy's writing and performance being worthy of wider recognition, and likely to ensure that she becomes a mainstay of the folk scene.

Visit Wendy's web site here!

Visit Wendy on MySpace here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Boo Hewerdine - 'God Bless The Pretty Things'

2009-09-19T10:53:00.002+01:00

Boo Hewerdine, God Bless The Pretty Things
(Navigator Records, 2009)

Boo Hewerdine has been writing and performing in the more interesting margins of the UK music scene for over twenty years now, attracting something of a cult following, that more recently appears to be gathering momentum. Hewerdine has always appeared to command the respect of those in the music industry, and his associations with the likes of Eddi Reader and Clive Gregson, whose work similarly defies categorisation, offers a good indication as to what you can expect here, in terms of both style and quality.

"Geography" opens the album with four minutes of the most perfect acoustic pop you could imagine: wonderfully light and nimble guitar picking, the lazy pluck of a banjo, a breezy accordion, expressive percussion, and Heidi Talbot's assuredly beautiful harmonies. Even the more melancholy of Hewerdine's songs are like a tonic, such as on "Soul Mate" where the gentle and soothing tone of his voice provides a welcoming reassurance.

"Rags" and "It's A Beautiful Night" are probably about as close to a torch ballad as you're likely to hear from Hewerdine, lacking the camp melodrama of Rufus Wainwright, though nonetheless possessing a subtle flamboyance, with Hewerdine's beautifully understated delivery seeking affinity with the listener.

For me, the opening line to "You and Me" provides one small yet significant moment: "and the sky is paintbox blue." It may seem like a throwaway line of little consequence, yet Hewerdine delivers it with such expressiveness, that you're immediately transported to a sweeping watercolour vista. And it's this thought that may provide the perfect analogy: with God Bless The Pretty Things, Hewerdine offers a sound whose overall subtlety belies the precision of its many parts, with a beauty that might well be described as aural watercolour.

Visit Boo's web site here!

Visit Boo's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll - 'Beneath The Black Tree'

2009-09-12T00:03:00.001+01:00

Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll, Beneath The Black Tree

Beneath The Black Tree is an album of music that is as stark and beautiful as the imposing silhouetted tree and brooding, cloud-laden sky that graces the album artwork. Wyke and Driscoll's combination of fiddle and viola bring an alluring depth to this collection of primarily traditional material, with the full-bodied resonance of the viola adding a particular elegance and intensity. Andy Seward's double bass further heightens the potency, whilst varied and inventive percussion from Keith Angel provides an occasional contemporary leaning.

Wyke's bold and commanding voice brings an effortless potency to "Benjamin Bowmaneer," delivered with an authoritative military precision, whilst he sings with more sinister overtones on "The Robber." A mournful glockenspiel brings an eerie atmosphere to "The King Of Poland," played in a particularly redolent manner, before the piece builds to a majestic climax with the rousing warmth of Ellen Driscoll's French horn. There is a typically English feel to "Coronation Day" that perfectly evokes both reverence and regal celebration. Wyke and Driscoll's own compositions nestle comfortably amongst the traditional pieces, with a poise and spirit that is very much the equal of their predecessors.

Beneath The Black Tree succeeds by presenting traditional music through confident and considerate arrangements that avoid ramshackle pastiche, by opting for a refined performance that owes as much to chamber music as it might to folk music. The recording is beautifully open, allowing you to savour each subtle cadence and appreciate the uncluttered interplay between the instruments.

Visit Nick and Becki on MySpace by clicking here!

Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2009

2009-09-07T21:52:00.005+01:00

Driving through Shrewsbury, you are acutely aware of the medieval heritage that surrounds and seduces you, with the ghosts of England's past seeming like the perfect hosts for a celebration of our folk music traditions. Arriving at the festival site, you are immediately enveloped by a relaxed festival atmosphere, with the West Mid Showground taking on the feel of a rural village.

Whilst the festival itself spans four days in total, my visit would be confined to just two afternoons this year, though one shouldn't underestimate just how much entertainment and inspiration was packed in to this relatively short space of time, particularly when that time was filled with such an inspired selection of music.

Breabach were to provide the first music of my Sunday afternoon, with a spirited set of tunes and songs. The combined highland pipes of Calum MacCrimmon and Donal Brown were utterly electrifying, and Donal's step-dancing brought a very visible energy to the band's stage presence. Poor Patsy Reid was unable to lend her vocals to this afternoon's set due to being struck down with the flu, though she still put in a fine, fluid performance on fiddle.

It is testament to the festival committee's temerity, that they have given such prominence to the American singer-songwriter, Krista Detor, both at this year's festival, and as part of the associated Darwin Song Project. Those of us who have already fallen under Krista's enchanting spell are well aware of her eloquent writing talent, and her handsomely expressive vocals, and for those at Shrewsbury who were unfamiliar with Krista's work, her performances this weekend must have made for a most alluring discovery. Krista made the marquee take on the feel of the most luxurious of concert venues, wrapping her sultry vocals around the most sumptuous ballads you might ever witness. For around an hour, the audience feasted on an emotional upheaval of humour, hope, and heartbreak.

Chris Wood is undoubtedly a national treasure, and to witness this one man playing on the main stage, armed with just his songs and guitar, made for a potent experience. Wood manages to write songs that connect with the national conscience, in a way that maintains a manifest degree of intimacy. His songs bear melodies and structures that owe much to the traditional styles of the British Isles, yet his lyrics speak a language that is very much relevant. His songs of family life chimed a particular resonance and warmed him to an attentive audience, but it was Wood's intense song chronicling the last days of Jean Charles de Menezes that laid bare the nation's shame and despair, to a mixture of discomfort and relief from the audience; discomfort from the acceptance that such a thing could happen in our own country, and relief that Wood was giving a frank and honest voice to what many of us have felt.

Returning to the festival on Monday afternoon, I took some time to just mill around the Village Stage and catch a glimpse of the variety of traditional dancing that was being performed, ranging from sensible and ladylike, to somewhat lewd and bawdy, but always performed in the best of spirits. The effort that these dance troupes put in to making their colourful costumes is nothing compared to the energy they expend during their wholehearted performances, and love 'em or loathe 'em they certainly accentuate the festival atmosphere, and do much to discourage any reservedness that you may feel!

Karine Polwart kicked off the afternoon's music on the main stage, where she was warmly welcomed by a rapturous, near-capacity crowd; accompanied by the solid guitar and vocals of her brother, Stephen Polwart, and the versatile Inge Thomson, who displayed her typically intuitive accompaniment and sang like an absolute angel. You could really appreciate the wide appeal of Karine's songs when you saw the reaction of the large festival audience, many of whom were applauding the opening chords to the songs they recognised. There were audience members of all ages enthusiastically singing along, heightening the sense that Karine really is one of the seminal songwriters of our time, with a body of songs that is cherished by an increasing number of admirers. A healthy dose of modesty meant that Karine faced the crowd with just a little bemusement, and looked genuinely surprised whenever her songs raised a cheer.

Megson proved to a laid-back audience why they are widely regarded as one of the folk scene's rising stars with their exquisitely crafted, catchy folk-pop. They brought a finely tuned illumination to some old folk ballads, but it was their own songs that really roused the audience with winsome harmonies and bewitching choruses. In particular "Fell To The Breeze" hinted at their potential for wider appeal beyond the folk genre with a summery radiance that you couldn't fail to be captivated by! Megson also provide a welcome change by singing proudly in their gorgeous Teeside accents, rather than opting for the usual mid-Atlantic drawl to which many singers seem to descend these days.

My visit to Shrewsbury was rounded off by Irish stalwarts Patrick Street, a group whose members possess renowned individual talent, that is surpassed only by their combined efforts. It was magical to witness these legends of traditional music whipping up a storm on the main stage, playing with an enviable zest and spirit. Patrick Street demonstrated an impressive intricacy thanks to the mesmerising string work of Andy Irvine and Arty McGlynn. Kevin Burke put in an effortless performance on fiddle, whilst John Carty's combination of versatility and virtuosity ensured that no style or pace was beyond their reach. Patrick Street are a group who remind you that, most of all, traditional music really can be unbelievably great fun!

The fact that this year's Shrewsbury Folk Festival was sold out well before the weekend itself speaks volumes, and demonstrates why this offers a genuinely unmissable event on the folk festival calendar. All involved in staging this event should be heartily congratulated!

You can see more of my photos from Shrewsbury Folk Festival here!

ALBUM REVIEW: The Kittiwakes - 'Lofoten Calling'

2009-08-29T21:39:00.003+01:00

The Kittiwakes, Lofoten Calling (Midwich Records)

Lofoten Calling is the brainchild of The Kittiwakes' lead vocalist and violin player, Kate Denny, inspired by the landscapes, wildlife and traditions of the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago in the county of Nordland, Norway, that lies within the Arctic Circle. Lofoten Calling sets these inspirations in a melodious landscape that draws heavily on the traditional music of both Britain and Norway, though the music and lyrics are all original. There is something enticingly eccentric about the music and performance here, that is sure to set this recording apart from anything else you will hear. The arrangements are refreshingly honest and unfussy, remaining true to the actual sound of the instruments, resulting in a delightfully uncluttered listening experience.

The sounds of maritime traditions chime proudly throughout Lofoten Calling, largely thanks to the fluid and illuminating accordion of Chris Harrison, adding much depth with its bass notes, whilst accommodating the more nimble melodies with great aplomb. The vocal arrangements are nothing short of inspired, with robust and alluring harmonies. Kate Denny's precise and penetrating vocals are delightfully animated, flooding her stories with whimsical character, whilst the more resonant tones of Jill Cumberbatch provide the perfect foil, and more than the occasional nod towards the illustrious Maddy Prior. Various string instruments are plucked and bowed with great elegance and purpose, and an occasional piano brings a refined touch.

By bringing together the folklore and natural history with the personal lives of the Lofotens' past and present, Kate Denny has crafted a collection of lyrics that offers a bewitching insight into this unique landscape. The islands' maritime and fishing industries feature heavily, where songs pay tribute to the work ethic and the inevitable love and loss that accompanies such enterprise. The unique natural characteristics of the area are represented by songs about the maelstrom, the long days of midsummer, and the long nights of midwinter, whilst "Lynx" offers a fanciful folkloric take on how nature conspired to create the Lofoten Islands.

Lofoten Calling is a unique endeavour that rewards with both fine musicality and the rich imagery that is woven by Kate Denny's inspired lyrics, that should rightfully win a place amongst the best folk releases of 2009.

http://www.thekittiwakes.com/

ALBUM REVIEW: Rallion - 'One For Sorrow'

2009-08-22T23:02:00.002+01:00

Rallion, One For Sorrow (Big Sky, 2009)

Scotland-based Rallion, follow up their début album of 2006, For No One And Everyone, with this bold and vibrant collection, that leaves a truly indelible impression from the very first listen. Rallion are a four-piece band with a sound that carries the force of a much larger ensemble. At the heart of this intensity lies the rock inclinations of Stevie Lawrence, a formidable presence on guitar and bouzouki, who brings immeasurable drive to the band's traditional sounds. The twin fiddles of Fiona Cuthill and Andrew Lyons combine to provide some of the album's most fluid and exhilarating moments, whilst Marieke McBean sings with the fervour and abandon of a wild banshee. The strength of One For Sorrow is undoubtedly its raw, live qualities; the authentic, unadulterated sound of music being played with a wholehearted passion and enjoyment.

One For Sorrow offers a veritable feast of traditional and self-penned material, and their own compositions reveal an impressive talent for writing alongside their formidable playing skills. Fiona Cuthill's "Waiting For Dawn" is a most beautiful, mournful piece of music, that perfectly captures the solitude and insecurities of the early morning hours, during which it was written, to yield a piece of music that is extraordinarily moving. Andrew Lyon's "Askival" was written after the band's performance at the Rum Festival, and the closing tune of the set captures well the chaotic, carefree zest of a festival atmosphere.

The exotic rhythms of Egypt are conjured up on Stevie Lawrence's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Fez," a tune whose droll title belies its intricate and perceptive demeanour. Marieke McBean sings with unerring commitment throughout, be it on the rowdy Dutch drinking song, "Wat Zullen We Drinken," or on the stirring a cappella interpretation of Robbie Burns' "Lassie Lie Near Me." In fact, it is Marieke's rumbustious insouciance on the traditional opening song, "There's Nae Luck Aboot The Hoose," that really sets the tone and pace of One For Sorrow from the outset.

Venturing beyond their Scottish territory, on the somewhat misleading "Norwegian Tunes," Rallion explore the sounds of Sweden and Norway, whilst Fiona Cuthill pays tribute to the men of Canada! It's intriguing to hear how the band take these alien rhythms and melodies and blend it with their own dynamic musical sensibilities to present a wonderful synthesis of traditions. I'm well aware that Rallion are travelling to other corners of the world this year, and I wait with eager anticipation to hear how they integrate their musical souvenirs on their next recording. In the meantime, One For Sorrow will certainly provide ample enjoyment!

Click here to visit Rallion's website!

Click here to visit Rallion's MySpace page!

Questions and answers with Rachael McShane

2009-08-13T22:36:00.002+01:00

I've never done this question and answer thing by e-mail before, but there were a few questions I wanted to put to Rachael McShane, after reviewing her album over the weekend...

Tell me a bit about the musicians you've chosen to work with, why you chose them and what they each bring to the sound of your album?

By the time I actually got round to doing a solo project, I’d done quite a bit of playing with other folk musicians in Newcastle (where I’ve been living for the past eight years) and had done a couple of projects with musicians from outside the folk scene. For my solo album I wasn’t particularly aiming for any kind of fusion project, I just fancied playing with some musicians from outside the folk scene and seeing what we could come up with. I’d taken a booking for a festival last summer but I had neither band members nor songs! Nothing like a bit of pressure to make you get on with things!

Drummer Adam Sinclair was first to be enlisted. We’d worked together on a project with a singer songwriter and he seemed to have quite an eclectic taste in music. He has some great arrangement ideas and is a very talented musician. He’s been pretty helpful along the way too, recording the demo in his dining room and going on to engineer and produce the album. It was great having him as producer as he knew the material so well and understood my way of thinking but was also brave enough to try things I’d never have thought of. He also helped me to put together the rest of the band!

Adam had done a lot of playing with bassist Jonathan Proud before and they’re in another band together called Peculiar Disco Moves. Jonathan was not entirely new to the folk scene, being a member of folk band The Hundred Man Orchestra and his answer was ‘If Sinclair’s in, I’m in!’ They work well together! Jonathan is a pretty cool player, he knows when to keep it understated, when to groove and when to bring out the distortion. He’s also my Internet tech support officer!

I’d met James Peacock playing some cello on an album by a band called Mamacoca, of which he and Adam are members. Having James in the band is like living with a giant seven year old. He amazes me with his musical mind and the way he thinks about chords and similarly astonishes me with his inability to make a cup of tea! His father is actually a Northumbrian piper so he was really up for playing some folk music despite never having played any before. He’s a really inventive player and has an enthusiasm to try new ideas. He has got quite into his folk music too; a little birdie told me he’s even bought a concertina!

How easy was it to put the sounds of Bellowhead out of your mind whilst making the album and to what extent were you trying to create your own sound here?

I’ve obviously been massively influenced by the musicians I’ve worked with in Bellowhead and the style of music we play, but doing a solo project was an opportunity to do something that was more ‘mine’. Doing something stylistically different to Bellowhead was never an issue; it naturally happened that way due to the musicians I’d chosen for the band and the choice of material. I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out.

If you'd not been a member of Bellowhead would No Man's Fool have sounded different, or did you always have in mind a more inventive sound for your music?

I’m not sure I’d ever have made ‘No Man’s Fool’ had I not had the support of Bellowhead band members, and even if I had I’m not sure it would’ve been quite the same! Playing in Bellowhead opened my eyes to new approaches to traditional music and I love what the non-folkies bring to the band. Having said that I made a little demo when I was about sixteen, which had keyboards, bass and drums on it…glad I waited a while before recording an album though!

How did you choose the songs and were there any others that you tried that didn't work out this time around?

There were a few songs that I’d been singing for a while that I knew I wanted to record on the album and quite a lot of songs that were brand new to me for this project. There were songs that I’d always fancied singing, such as Miles Weatherhill, from the singing of Nic Jones, and songs that I found in various books, such as The Highwayman Outwitted and The Shepherd Lad that I liked the story of. It was only after a little while that I realised there was a theme emerging. Writing a set list one day it dawned on me that I had rather a lot of songs about men! I had a shoemaker, a captain, a fisherman, a shepherd etc. but it was the women who were more often the stronger characters in these songs, which is where the album title ‘No Man’s Fool’ came from. Once the theme was established, the rest of the album seemed to fall into place pretty easily. We recorded all of the songs we’d got together in the knowledge that we had a bit too much material and one would probably get cut. In the end it was ‘Gypsy’, a version of the Dark Eyed Gypsy or Gypsy Laddie that didn’t quite fit once we’d got the track order sorted. It’s available to download though so it wasn’t wasted!

What's more important to you in a song: the vocal or the instrumentation?

That’s a tough one! I think as soon as you put instrumentation with a traditional song, it loses something of its raw storytelling element but it also gains the ability to be more powerful and moving with instrumentation. I think instrumentation actually makes traditional song a little more accessible for audiences outside the folk scene too, but for me, the song is the most important thing and it’s important that the story and sentiment of the song are the main focus of the arrangement. That said we had a lot of fun on this album with Rhodes keyboards, percussion galore, a horn section and distorted bass! If instrumentation is used for effect and to support the song then I’m all in favour.

Who are your musical influences and what echoes might we hear of them in No Man's Fool?

There was always an eclectic mix of music listened to in my household as a child. I was always a big folk fan and loved listening to Irish musicians such as Frankie Gavin and the Irish albums that Karen Tweed recorded, and I’ve always loved Nic Jones’s singing and his ability to really tell a story. Being dragged along to folk clubs and festivals from being tiny, the folk influences are not hard to spot, but I also played classical music when I was at school, playing in orchestras and taking the classical grades on cello. My dad was at Huddersfield Uni when I was about 9, so we went to a lot of concerts, not only classical but also a lot of contemporary music gigs. I’m also a huge fan of people like Joni Mitchell and James Taylor and I love a bit of a boogie and a sing-along! I’m not sure which influences shine through but I think being exposed to all kinds of music as a child has allowed me to be quite open minded with my music. I think folk audiences are pretty welcoming and open to new concepts and ideas too.

What next Rachael?

Well we’re having a couple of quiet weeks at home now before we’re off to Shrewsbury festival at the end of August, which is always a lovely festival. Then we’ve got a big launch do up in Newcastle on 31st October at The Cluny 2. I had this great idea that I’d get everyone who played on the album to play at the launch, which will mean about thirteen of us! Bellowhead is a logistical nightmare but at least I don’t have to organise anyone! So I’ll be busy organising that and we’ll be rehearsing for a little while and after that we’re itching to get started on some new material. Watch this space I guess!

Visit Rachael's website here!

Visit Rachael's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Rachael McShane - 'No Man's Fool'

2009-08-08T09:16:00.001+01:00

Rachael McShane, No Man's Fool
(Navigator Records, 2009)

As one might expect from a musician who has spent the last three or four years reinventing the sound of English folk music as a member of Bellowhead, No Man's Fool is an album that further pushes at the boundaries of the folk genre. Rachael takes ten traditional songs and sets them in an aural landscape that flirts with the contemporary sounds of lounge-jazz and funk. Ultimately though, it is Rachael's exquisitely clear and unfussy voice that furnishes the album with an eternal charm; in fact, it would have been interesting to also hear the songs being performed a cappella, so as to appreciate their stark beauty before they don their new clothes. There is however a certain allure to hearing these songs of fair maidens and May mornings set amongst a thoroughly modern and inventive soundscape.

Right from the outset, "Captain Ward" benefits from a subdued bass and a piano that saunters along with a jazzy insouciance, with an accordion and fiddle providing an instrumental nod towards the more traditional sound that one might associate with this song. "My Johnny Was A Shoemaker" receives a groovy makeover thanks to some effortlessly cool keyboards, and a harmony-laden refrain that may well provide the most memorable pop hook that traditional music has ever heard!

"The Drowned Sailor" demonstrates undeniable class, with an understated performance where Rachael's cello sets a mournful tone alongside sensitive accompaniment that allows the full lustre of Rachael's gorgeous voice to dominate. "Miles Weatherhill" starts out as a tender recounting of a love story between a young weaver and a parson's servant, before said weaver embarks on a bloody killing spree, at which point the panoramic musical accompaniment reaches epic proportions to perfectly heighten the drama.

Rachael McShane is a classy musician and a singer of striking elegance on this confident début. The arrangements are often daring, though sometimes alarmingly smooth, but the quality of the traditional material, and the unpretentiousness of Rachael's voice shines bright throughout. This marriage of traditional spirit, jazzy improvisation, and urbane rhythms genuinely offers something different at a time where even the folk scene can offer increasingly bland and unimaginative alternatives. No Man's Fool surely marks the beginning of an altogether more interesting journey.

Visit Rachael's website here!

Visit Rachael's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Various Artists - 'Borders Tunesmiths'

2009-07-29T20:54:00.002+01:00

Various Artists, Borders Tunesmiths

Produced by Shona Mooney, this latest volume in the Borders Traditions series sees nine of Scotland's most gifted traditional musicians, gathered together to produce a collection of new instrumental music, taking inspiration from the Borders region. A diverse collection of instruments, including a delicate harp, a varied selection of strings, the punchy border pipes, and the contemporary rhythmic flamboyance of cajon and stomp box, ensure that the pace and flavour is varied throughout. The fact that the entire project was recorded live on just one night, adds further atmosphere; no mean feat when you consider that the musicians had just four days to rehearse!

"On Auld Lauder Licht" is inspired by the Lauder Light Railway, that once linked small border towns to the the main Waverley Line from Edinburgh to Carlisle. The rhythm of the instruments are deployed intelligently to represent the mechanical nature of the old steam trains that would have ploughed the route, starting out at a saunter before building with speed and purpose. Elspeth Smellie's harp chimes with a graceful eloquence to begin "Write A Bar Or Two," luring the other musicians to join her in an ensemble of discerning elegance. "Harp vs. Accordion" finds jazz-soaked guitar flourishes from Innes Watson setting the backdrop for Christopher Keatinge's lithe accordion, in a set that begins with flavours of the continent, while Smellie's harp ripples politely in the background. Martin Marroni's reading of the Border poet W. H. Ogilvie's "The Hill Road to Roberton," is absolutely sublime, with an understated charm and authenticity that is matched by Marroni's subdued composition that beautifully underscores his plaintive voice.

"Cheese Well" completes proceedings; a collaborative composition of three tunes written by all nine musicians. "Hume Castle" begins the set with a suitably commanding grace, winding towards the more muscular melody of the closing tune, "Waverley Route," where the combined resonance of the strings and border pipes give a wonderfully replete sound. The set ends to an understandably rapturous round of applause from the audience.

The decision to record this project as a live concert pays dividends, retaining an air of spontaneity that genuinely brings a touch of magic to the whole recording. This is music that beams with pride, and the celebratory nuances make it impossible not to enjoy.

Visit the Borders Traditions website for more details!

ALBUM REVIEW: Sean Taylor - 'Calcutta Grove'

2009-07-27T23:42:00.001+01:00

Sean Taylor, Calcutta Grove

Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Sean Taylor, has crafted an album of dark, understated beauty with Calcutta Grove. With a minimalist approach to the arrangement and production, Calcutta Grove is a whispering, bluesy album with an eerie and intoxicating atmosphere that agitates the mind like an evening spent with a good bottle of whiskey. Taylor credits John Martyn as being one of his influences, and Calcutta Grove owes much to the musical meanderings of Martyn with its extemporaneous, discordant leanings, and in particular, Taylor's mesmerising guitar technique.

Taylor sings with a smooth reticence on the absorbing title track that opens the album, departing from this serenity momentarily for a stifled, tormented howl that hints at an inner disquiet. "Revelations" follows with a funky blues-drenched rhythm that carries a cool charm, yet still retains an air of nonchalance. The angry, domineering distortions of an electric guitar break the peace quite dramatically on the short instrumental interlude of "Salvo," that nicely punctuates the otherwise tranquil ambience.

There are a couple of nods back to Taylor's own heroes with a kaleidoscopic treatment of Skip James' "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues," and a robust reading of the traditional spiritual "Motherless Child," referred to here as "Freedom" in recognition of Richie Havens' celebrated improvisation.

Lyrically, it would seem that Taylor is something of a man of mystery, with abstract allusions that will fuel much interpretation. With the recent passing of John Martyn, there is a void in music that could well be filled by Sean Taylor. This is timeless music where every element is a well-thought, carefully crafted addition to an overall work of art. Repeated listens reward with subtleties, buried between the sweeping layers of sound, that you may not catch immediately. Calcutta Grove may well be the most relaxing, chilled-out music you will here this year.

Visit Sean's website here!

Visit Sean's myspace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW: Fiona J Mackenzie - 'A Good Suit Of Clothes'

2009-07-17T16:00:00.005+01:00

Fiona J Mackenzie, A Good Suit Of Clothes
(Greentrax Recordings, 2009)

A Good Suit Of Clothes is an absorbing recording, that primarily acts as a showcase for Gaelic songs of emigration, bringing together native Gaelic songs, alongside those written by the emigrants themselves in distant corners of the world such as Novia Scotia and Australia. The songs collected here are largely traditional, though a number of contemporary compositions sustain the echoes of the past.

It is testament to the varied experience of producer, Irvine Duguid, that he has crafted the most exquisite arrangements, remaining faithful to the spirit of the material, whilst gracing them with an overall sound that manages to be subtle, sumptuous and elegant. Fraser Fifield, Mary Ann Kennedy and Anna Massie are amongst the impressive cast of musicians who perform on the album, lending strong traditional credentials, yet ensuring there are subtle contemporary nuances that will appeal beyond the traditional genre boundaries. The final touch of beauty is provided by the chaste and lucid vocals of Fiona Mackenzie, whose singing demands your immediate attention, demonstrating a manifest affinity to the songs that allows her to tease out the gamut of sentiments that permeate the material.

A Good Suit Of Clothes is by no means a one-sided story and the songs presented here yield stories of hope, desperation and longing. An interesting perspective considered on a number of occasions is the cultural dislocation suffered by emigrants, who found that their new life was compromising the future of their language and culture. In "A' Choille Ghruamach" (The Gloomy Forest) the Tiree Bard, John MacLean, fears for the loss of his Gaelic and finds loneliness in the fact that nobody asks him to sing his music.

The common woes of emigration obviously feature highly, with songs that speak of pining for home and lost loved ones. One of the most heartbreaking songs is "Tha Thu Beò Nam Anamsa" (You Are alive In My Soul), a contemporary song telling the story of an elderly lady recalling the emigration of her childhood sweetheart. Her sweetheart was never to return as he had promised, and the lady never married. These stories of sadness are balanced by "Dèan Cadalan Sàmhach" (Sleep Quietly), a lullaby where a mother promises her baby that a better life awaits them in America, or on " 'Illean Bithibh Sunndach" (Boys Be Happy), a song that buoys the spirits of those departing for the new world.

"Tilleadh an Eilthirich" (Return of the Wanderer) brings the subject full circle, being written in 1975 by Archie Mackenzie of Halifax, whose forefathers had emigrated from Barra. Mackenzie writes with enthusiasm for his first journey to Barra and talks of the emigrants' legacy that lives on in the new world, where their ancestors still proudly uphold the language and music. Fiona is joined here by Cathy Ann MacPhee and their interpretation is intertwined with archive recordings of Mackenzie himself, marking a fitting close to the album.

As a collection of music alone, A Good Suit Of Clothes makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with exquisite arrangements and the absolute delight of Fiona Mackenzie's singing. Those willing to dig a bit deeper will uncover an interesting and heartfelt tribute to Gaelic emigrants and gain some understanding of the personal and cultural sacrifices involved, at a time when emigration was more often than not, a permanent, one-way journey. A Good Suit Of Clothes serves to maintain the memory of these personal journeys.

Visit Fiona's website here!

Visit Fiona's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW : Catherine MacLellan - 'Water In The Ground'

2009-07-13T20:48:00.002+01:00

Catherine MacLellan, Water In The Ground
(True North Records, 2009)

Water In The Ground is an album lightly infused with country music sounds, wrapped up in a breezy, summery production that proves to be deliciously contagious, making repeated listens absolutely essential. This third album from the Canadian singer-songwriter finds her ploughing a furrow not dissimilar to Mindy Smith, though with hints of darker undertones that owe more to the likes of Lucinda Williams.

Opening with the 1950s rockabilly sound of "Take A Break," conjuring up images of poodle dresses, vintage jukeboxes and coffee shops, MacLellan instantly demonstrates the potential for a catchy, radio-friendly hit. This sound is revisited later on "Not Much To Do (Not Much To Say)," with a dominant double bass lending solid rhythms, whilst MacLellan's voice offers a bluesy indifference. The uplifting, gospel-soaked harmonies of "Set This Heart on Fire" also carry nuances of a similar vintage.

MacLellan also offers a more contemporary, carefree country-pop, with the title track offering a first glimpse of MacLellan's romantic optimism: "all the snow will melt into the stream / leading me back to where I want to be." Further reassurance emerges on "Everything'll Be Alright," a number that soothes and comforts with insouciant hopefulness: "don't you worry any more / we'll let the rain fall, we'll let the sun shine / and everything'll be alright."

These buoyant offerings punctuate MacLellan's otherwise wistful, confessional material with songs that immediately set your toes tapping, though the more introspective numbers offer their own dark beauty. "All Those Years" takes a doleful backwards glance to a life left behind: "but it's someone else's now / and the ghosts of my past just drift on alone." MacLellan returns to a similar viewpoint on "Again From The Start," vowing not to return to the road already travelled, yet rueful of the loneliness that life's journey sometimes deals, and seemingly looking for a helping hand.

Included with Water In The Ground is MacLellan's début album, Dark Dream Midnight, previously only available by mail order, and a much more sparse and melancholic affair. It is this effortlessness with which MacLellan moves between styles that promises much in the way of longevity and versatility for this accomplished songwriter.

ALBUM REVIEW : Stockholm Lisboa Project - 'Diagonal'

2009-06-28T23:28:00.002+01:00

Stockholm Lisboa Project, Diagonal (Westpark Music, 2009)

Stockhom Lisboa Project bring together a heady concoction of sounds that blends traditional music from Portugal, Sweden, and beyond. The utterly captivating voice of Liana colours the recording with a sultry Mediterranean heat, whilst the Nordic influences lend a cool precision to proceedings.

The traditional "Corridinho do Ti António" paints a picture of people eager for dance and party, and the mischievous rhythms cooked up by the band capture the party atmosphere perfectly, whilst "Saudade, vai-te embora" marries the essence of lament and longing from Portugese fado with some rather playful, flirtatious sounding interludes. There is true cultural cross-breeding on "Näverbiten / Corpo Aceso," where Portugese lyrics are set to a Swedish waltz, that the album notes inform you are about the common subject of seductive love -- and there is quite possibly nothing more seductive than Liana's alluring voice on songs such as this. The sheer drama that Liana wrings out of "Meu Amor de Ontem" as her voice ascends to a quivering climax, is nothing short of breathtaking.

There is a compelling fusion of instruments throughout Diagonal, and the diverse rhythms and flavours make for a memorable encounter. The undulating tones of Simon Stålspets' Nordic mandola provide a rhythmic underpinning and a tonal range that offers intensity and intricate agility. New member, Filip Jers, brings a striking vibrancy and depth with his collection of harmonicas, with the bass harmonica lending a particularly brooding atmosphere, whilst the violin of Sérgio Crisóstomo provides some of the more exhilarating melodies.

This is music that makes you want to pack a suitcase and explore the rhythms and musical emotions of mainland Europe. Perfectly and passionately articulated, music rarely comes better this, and I fully anticipate this album being amongst my favourite albums of 2009.

Visit Stockholm Lisboa Project on MySpace or on their website.

ALBUM REVIEW : Red Shoes - 'Ring Around The Land'

2009-06-16T23:03:00.003+01:00

Red Shoes, Ring Around The Land (Cedarwood Records, 2009)

Having listened to this album unfurl over the past year or so, Ring Around The Land feels like an old friend already. Mark and Carolyn Evans have been posting beautifully sparse demo tracks on their MySpace page that have signified the first shoots of something truly special. Enlisting the help of Fairport Convention's Dave Pegg and a number of his trusted musical allies, Ring Around The Land now comes in to full bloom, revealing a collection of heartfelt writing and impassioned performances.

In a world where dreams invariably centre around the trappings of celebrity, here are a duo with a genuine love for music and a refreshingly straightforward sincerity. Having put their burgeoning music careers on hold back in the 1980's to raise a family, Mark and Carolyn are unlikely to be distracted by the vacuous trappings of the music industry, instead pouring their hearts and souls into this labour of love. Carolyn makes no secret of her admiration for Sandy Denny, so it's no surprise to hear her taking up Denny's mantle throughout Ring Around The Land. Like Denny, Carolyn has a commanding voice that carries an inescapable drama and emotion, she also possesses that same poise and serenity, and more pertinently, sings with a diction that is manifestly English.

The title track is surely destined to be an instant English folk anthem, with a catchy chorus that gently coaxes you to sing along. Filled with the imagery of English folklore, "Ring Around The Land" is a clarion call to communities to come together and share in the joy of the seasons. Bursting with pride and jubilation throughout, it is brought to a fitting close by the traditional tune, "Shepherd's Hey," played by Chris Leslie on fiddle. It would be a crying shame if this song isn't flooding the folk-airwaves throughout the summer, and providing a rousing, uniting finale to folk festivals throughout the land.

Songs don't come much more poignant than Carolyn's "My Father's Green Beret," a personal and moving tribute to her father, that aches with both pride and anger. The pride comes from the thoughts of her seventeen-year-old father, witnessing the devastating realities of battle at such a young age: "his bayonet heavy in a young boy's hands." The anger follows many years later when her war-hero father suffers from fatal neglect in the hands of the country that he fought selflessly to protect: "on a hospital ward, given a medal of MRSA". The personal tragedy and torment of this song is almost too painful to bear, yet it stands here as a most touching tribute from daughter to father.

Mark's lead-vocal contributions lend a more carefree air to proceedings, with his smooth, pop-tinged vocals combining with Carolyn's uplifting harmonies to give a sound that is more akin to an English take on The Byrds. The dobro and harmonica of PJ Wright bring transatlantic flavours to "Something Wicked This Way Comes," who also contributes some spellbinding lead guitar on "Keep A Hold On Me."

The influence of traditional ballads weighs heavy in "Two Sisters," in another song that bears all the hallmarks of an English folk standard, whilst there is a maturity and candidness that permeates songs such as "Someday We'll Meet" and "Woman In Love," that seem to be born from a resignation to the twists and turns of life and love.

Dave Pegg has done a sterling job here, creating an overall sound that embraces Mark and Carolyn's natural warmth. This is honest, wholesome music, devoid of ego and vanity, written and sung from the heart.

You can visit Red Shoes' MySpace page by clicking here! (where you can also order yourself a copy of Ring Around The Land!!)

ALBUM REVIEW: Mawkin:Causley - 'The Awkward Recruit'

2009-06-07T21:45:00.004+01:00

Mawkin:Causley, The Awkward Recruit (Navigator Records, 2009)

This year is proving to be an excellent year for English folk music, and with this latest offering from Mawkin:Causley, it's just got even better! The tone of The Awkward Recruit is set primarily by the torment and torture of conflict, be it on a local or global scale, with performances that illustrate both the brutality and emotional aspects of battle. Much of the material here is many centuries old, though the futility and anger from which the material is born has never really lost its pertinence.

What really grabbed me about The Awkward Recruit is the remarkable standard of performance; the unmistakable drama of the whole recording is intoxicating. At present there really must be few male voices on the English folk scene that offer the same resonance and resolve as Jim Causley's relentlessly impressive voice. The expressiveness of Causley's voice alone furnishes the material with a striking, almost theatrical ambience. Danny Crump's bass serves to further underscore the drama, and the interplay of fiddle and guitar from the Delarre brothers brings a more refined detail. The instruments that really lend character to The Awkward Recruit are Alex Goldsmith's accordion and Jim Causley's melodeon, providing both sprightly melodies and foreboding bass chords.

For sheer energy, "L'homme Armé," is an absolute spectacle, that finds the whole band on full throttle, with a formidable French/English bilingual vocal. The band improvise nicely on an avant-garde sounding "Keeper Of The Game," inspired by a tenth-century anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry, but with a bass-driven rhythm that ensures a more contemporary essence. Voices of unrest and rebellion from centuries past are given renewed potency in the seventeenth century satire of "The Downfall Of Charing Cross," and the punchy tale of Luddite uprising, "Cropper Lads."

An album brimming with deliciously unsavoury tales of rebellion and war, The Awkward Recruit is sure to prove itself as an enduring recording in the folk genre, whilst possessing a certain zest that may attract a few new ears too. Mawkin:Causley look certain here, to cement their reputation as one of the finest exponents that the English folk scene has to offer.

Visit Mawkin:Causley on MySpace by clicking here!

The Stepping Stone That Binds Us (Doorley, Fowlis, Martin & Nic Amhlaoibh)

2009-06-01T21:44:00.004+01:00

Éamon Doorley, Julie Fowlis, Ross Martin
& Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh

The Stepping Stone That Binds Us

The traditional music scene is populated by young musicians proud to explore and embrace their music, language and culture, both past and present. This article focuses on a group of young musicians from Scotland and Ireland who epitomise the positive attitude of so many working in traditional music today. This is a group of young people who are keen to explore and develop the links that unite their music and culture, and to enjoy the friendships that emerge from those common bonds. Julie Fowlis, who grew up on the Outer Hebridean island of North Uist, is well-known for taking Scottish Gaelic music to a wider audience. Since she released her solo album, "Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe" in 2005, she has succeeded in reaching an audience far beyond Gaeldom. She has collected folk awards along the way and attracted the attention of the English media, gaining radio airplay by the likes of Chris Evans and Mark Radcliffe, even appearing on political pundit Andrew Marr’s programme, and also on Jools Holland’s “Later.” Éamon Doorley, from Glenageary in Co. Dublin, has worked alongside Julie throughout her solo projects, and along with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh who hails from West Kerry, is a member of the Irish band Danú. This band has taken Éamon and Muireann to stages across the world. They performed at the ceremony marking the launch of Ireland's EU presidency in January 2004, and also travelled to India in 2005 as part of the Irish government’s trade delegation. Scottish guitarist Ross Martin ,from Arisaig in the Scottish Highlands, is recognised most prominently as a member of Dàimh, a band that fuses together the Celtic traditions of Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton.

Given their achievements in traditional music, and in particular Gaelic music, it was perhaps inevitable that these four musicians would come together to work on a project that explores the differences and similarities between their native cultures. I met up with the musicians at the Tradition:DL festival in Dun Laoghaire, where they were to provide the festival's closing set.

We spent some time exploring the cultural links shared by the four musicians. Julie Fowlis spoke about 'Dual', the album that the four of them have recently worked on together: 'Loads of people have recorded albums with links between Scotland and Ireland, it's not a new thing to be looking at, but what we wanted to do was look at the strong links in terms of the language, the music and the song. The languages have separated slightly and so have the cultures, and there are strong differences now. There's more in common than there are differences but it's good to show both.' Muireann expands: 'It's very much like a product of our environments. With a lot of the music I might do with Danú, for example, I wouldn't draw as much primarily from the music at home in Kerry. But when I'm working with Julie I do that a lot because I feel that together we can show the historical links, but also show where the music is now.'

I asked the band about how the music travelled between Scotland and Ireland, about its differences, and about the obvious similarities between the cultures. Éamon was first to explain: 'Some of the melodies definitely travelled, maybe more so than the lyrics. A lot of them would have common themes, or common references to places. Just pick a tune -- it'll be a march in Scotland, it'll be a reel over here. I think what's most striking is the massive interaction between both cultures -- not just in the songs, but in the music, the actual melodies, which wouldn't necessarily be exclusive to Gaelic singers. You might get tunes from Eastern Scotland that are popular in Ireland'. Muireann suggested that the further back you looked, the much stronger the similarities were: ‘The older the songs get, the closer the link is to be honest. From the sixteenth century and before that, you could really call it the one language, and also to a certain extent the culture at the time'. Éamon spoke of the empathy between the Scottish and the Irish cultures. ‘There was a huge trade between the West of Scotland and Ireland, particularly the North, and there was a lot of inter-marriage. It probably goes further back to the time when there was practically one common culture.'

Julie provided a specific example: 'One thing that's quite common in Scotland is the singing of these very old style of songs called lays, and they aren’t really sung in Ireland that much any more but they were at one time. It's basically just a way of telling a really long and legendary kind of tale, and they would deliver it in a very simple chant-like way. It basically told a story, and was probably a memory aid as well, using melody to help the story along'. Éamon continues: 'The stories they would tell were very old Irish mythologies. That tradition moved to Scotland and the stories were common to both Ireland and Scotland, but it died out here probably before it did in Scotland'. Muireann added: 'In Scotland they seem to have survived much more in a song format, whereas in Ireland it was more of a chant thing -- sometimes people would even have just spoken it. Maybe that's why it died out, because that recitation tradition isn't as common in Ireland as it used to be'.

Muireann discussed another avenue that she was keen to explore: 'Something that's so appealing to me about Scottish Gaelic song is how many lovely, up-tempo airs and songs they have. I suppose there were just as many in Ireland at one point, but there's such a huge focus on tunes now, that very often people will sing a slow song because all the tunes are so fast. We haven't had as much focus on our faster songs here in Ireland, so that's something we've experimented with. A lot of the common instrumental tunes in Ireland would have words going with them.' During the process of recording ‘Dual’, Muireann described how the musicians included a few sets where Irish and Scottish Gaelic songs were interwoven, whilst other songs retained their distinct Scottish or Irish identity. Julie added: 'The thing that became really obvious to us was that although we come from two different backgrounds, essentially it's just one big pot of music'.

The musicians are clearly also bound by the Gaelic languages of Ireland and Scotland. Muireann spoke eloquently of the reaction the musicians get from their audience: 'My very favourite reaction is when we take our music out to somewhere in the Highlands or somewhere in the Gaeltacht. In Kerry, I’ll be singing the local songs and people will know them and will start singing along, then Julie will start singing and you can hear people commenting how they totally understand her, they really notice the similarities between the languages.’ Ross suggested that there may be more awareness in Scotland of the Gaelic language in Ireland than vice versa, a theory that Éamon seemed to agree with: 'I know that the first time I heard Scottish Gaelic being spoken I just couldn't believe that we didn't know anything about it over here'. Muireann suggested that they were almost united by their shared linguistic isolation: 'You feel you’re on the edge, on the periphery -- there's only a few of us left speaking the language or singing the songs. So when you find out there's a whole gang of musicians doing the same thing, you get such a lift from that knowledge.' Julie commented on the relatively low profile of Gaelic within Scotland: 'A lot of people don't even know that there's Gaelic in Scotland'. Muireann recalled a gig in Donegal where the linguistic ties between Scotland and Ireland were particularly obvious: 'We did a gig in Donegal last Christmas, in the Gaeltacht, and I was trying to talk to the locals there -- they didn't understand me but they understood Julie!' Julie explained: 'The Irish that they have in Donegal is so closely linked to Scotland. Language-wise, the Irish there is just as close to Scottish Gaelic as it is to Irish -- it's the stepping stone that binds us actually, Donegal is like a mid-point.'

If there has been a lack of profile of the Gaelic language in Scotland, then Julie Fowlis can claim much credit for breaking down many of these barriers through her solo career. I asked them all what they thought Gaelic music’s appeal was beyond its indigenous territory. Éamon suggested that the very fact that the music offers something different is one of the reasons why people have been so keen to listen: 'It stands out on its own. I also think nowadays there seems to be a generic kind of culture, and Gaelic music is so different to everything else that you see'. Muireann felt that an ability to bring the material to a young audience was also very important: 'I think it's interesting to people. To see relatively young people bringing something that's so old and taking it forward with them is a positive thing. You don't have to leave these songs and traditions behind, you don't have to treat them like museum pieces either. They fit perfectly well with contemporary life'. Julie remarked upon the growing self-confidence within the Gaelic communities: 'There's been a big change in peoples’ confidence. You don’t have to look too far back to see how the Gaels were repressed -- they had such a traumatic history. Our people didn't have a lot of confidence in expressing their culture'. Muireann added an example from contemporary life to reinforce this comment: 'This is the first generation here where young people are truly proud of their language and are able to use it outside of home – it’s not like a secret language any more. Here in Dublin, it's everywhere now. We've got a television station and Scotland's going to have their own Gaelic television station very soon.'

Julie is very positive about the future of Gaelic in Scotland: 'It's an interesting time just now at home for the language. It didn't even legally exist as a language until the bill of 2005 was put through, and was approved in 2006.' Éamon acknowledged that while there was a decline in the number of native speakers, he also sensed a renaissance: ‘Maybe what we do in playing our own music is representative of that in some small way.'

It’s well known that Julie and Éamon are now married and based in Inverness-shire, so it was interesting to learn how the four musicians met and began their musical collaboration. Julie provided the detail: ‘We first had a sing-song together in Tønder. I met Éamon through working on a project together, and I met Danú through Éamon.’ Muireann continued: 'There's a nice gig in Tønder that Danú always do when we go over, in a venue called The Vismöllen. It's a really loose evening where loads of people come along, and it's a good time for collaboration and trying out different things. So we just decided to try something together.' Julie continued: 'It was while we were there that we realised that we had so many interesting similarities in terms of our background. We're the same age, Muireann grew up on an island off the west coast and so did I, we both moved to the mainland, and we both played whistles.'

Muireann recalled their first informal tour together, a tour that Julie organised soon after their introduction in Tønder: 'Julie got a tour together out of the blue. We went round the Highlands and Islands and then we started doing gigs in the Gaeltacht and some islands there as well. It was like our holidays, staying with family.' Julie echoes this sentiment of fun: 'We had really good craic playing at small venues with small audiences. Then we got the chance to go on tour in England about two years ago and were thinking well this has worked so far! She recalled one particularly tiring gig and journey combination: 'I remember one night, after playing a Working Man's Club in Yorkshire that we had to drive through the night because our next gig was eleven o'clock in the morning in Somerset. We just sang all the way because we had to stay awake and we said: "this is a really good song, we should do an album." It's taken us two years to get around to doing it!’

The resulting album is called "Dual," a word that means, in both languages, to twine, braid or interlace. Julie explains: 'this all happened just because we had great craic doing it and because we were friends really. We didn't want this to become an academic project, it's really a musical project. We wanted it to be good music, it was just a very natural thing'. This attitude seems to be very much reflected in their organic approach to gathering material for their album, gathering together lyrics scribbled down by neighbours and tunes recommended by fellow musicians. Éamon summed up nicely the difference between “Dual” and more formal explorations of the Scottish and Irish cultures: 'it's all very well documented, there's a huge corpus of historical study done into it, so it's quite accessible to anybody, but it's almost like an academic thing -- it's not actually something that's put out there'.

(This article was published in issue 83 of The Living Tradition Magazine)

ALBUM REVIEW : Bruce Cockburn, 'Slice O Life - Live Solo'

2009-05-25T08:11:00.005+01:00

Bruce Cockburn, 'Slice O Life - Live Solo'
(True North Records, 2009)

Slice O Life is a double album of live solo performances, recorded at various gigs across the USA and Canada in May 2008. This is a recording that fans of Bruce Cockburn have eagerly anticipated, this writer included. The choice of material spans Cockburn's critically acclaimed career from his early recordings in the 1970s, through to 2006's Life Short Call Now, with a brand new track thrown in for good measure. There are even a few snippets recorded from the sound checks that further contribute towards the raw, live ambience.

One advantage of this recording is that it allows you to clearly hear Cockburn's distinctive and intricate guitar playing. Always perfectly matched to his lyrics, Cockburn seems to be able play a weeping, melodic backdrop for the more introspective numbers, though most revealing is the spiky anger and agitation that he seems able to conjure up so intensely to underscore his darker or more forceful pieces.

Furthermore, the recording seems to reveal Cockburn as relaxed and genial; happy to share in the banter with his audience and contribute some amusing yet revealing stories. This aspect is something that doesn't often come across in the earnestness of Cockburn's recordings, or indeed his live performances here, but the presence of these amiable interjections brings a more human face to the material and somehow makes them all the more enjoyable.

Cockburn sounds in great voice throughout, with a world-weary vocal that succumbs to the occasional energetic outburst. Singing with an undeniable commitment and sincerity, Cockburn seizes his lyrics with a commanding authority, yet radiates a genuine warmth that urges the listener to sit back and soak up the vivid poetry of his lyrics.

Stand out moments for me include the bluesy saunter of "Mamma Just Wants To Barrelhouse All Night Long," the enthusiastic audience participation on "Wondering Where The Lions Are," a reflective "Pacing the Cage," the edgy anger of "If I Had A Rocket Launcher," and the sheer understated beauty of "Celestial Horses."

For fans of Cockburn, Slice O Life is an unmissable release... for the uninitiated, this is most certainly something you should hear too!

Visit The Cockburn Project online!

ALBUM REVIEW: Eric Bogle - 'The Dreamer'

2009-05-11T23:55:00.004+01:00

Eric Bogle, 'The Dreamer'
(Greentrax Recordings, 2009)

Eric Bogle's impressive body of work comprises a personal and insightful social commentary that always keeps up with the times, and it is heart-warming to hear that Bogle still retains his keen eye and can still find the words to document the twists and turns of the world around him. There is a straight-forwardness about the music that Bogle makes, and this really opens up his stories to the listener and communicates the lyrics with an immediate power. Bogle never agitates with his lyrics, he just tells the story as it is, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions.

"Bringing Buddy Home" is almost an update of one of Bogle's older songs, "My Youngest Son Came Home Today." Inspired by one of the most powerful images of recent military activities, that of flag-draped coffins bringing home the dead, Bogle turns this television imagery on its head and considers the utter despair felt by the families: "for your son's just a name on a cold marble stone, and he's never... coming home." It's a song that offers little solace, and reminds again of the pointless destruction of war... he must be getting tired of telling us by now.

Bogle champions those with a cause in "Nothing Worth Saving," turning a phrase uttered by a dismissive politician into a celebration of the selfless effort of those who stand up and fight their corner. Turning to the land that Bogle has made his own, we are offered a contrasting insight into the Australian psyche. "Lost Souls" despairs of the injustice suffered by the Ngarrindjeri people, granted Australian citizenship so they could fight in the name of Australia during the first world war, only to have that citizenship revoked upon their return. The anxiety is lightened by the vivid imagery of their native home of the Coorong, conjured up by Bogle's rich tapestry of lyrics that embraces the bounty of nature that populates the Coorong. In a lighter moment, "Australian Prayer For Rain" looks heavenward in the hope that "Big Hughie" will quench the thirst of their drought-ridden lands: "set all the rivers and creeks to flowing, set all the grass and wheat to growing."

One can't possibly complete this review without mention of Bogle's musical compadre, John Munro, who takes the production credits here. Munro also contributes a fine song, "Snowdrop," in which he tackles the somewhat disturbing plight of the homelessness in Russia who freeze to death under the winter's blanket of snow only to be discovered in the spring when the snow thaws -- they're known as snowdrops. It's a somewhat macabre tale that signals the cheapness of life and highlights the desperate plight of the unwanted and forgotten homeless, who live a life of solitary fear.

If you're wondering what it is that sustains Bogle's drive after all these years of music, then you might find an answer in "The Last Note," the album's closing track: "Don't know what music means to you, that's what music means to me, it can capture my heart yet somehow set it free, it can tear me to pieces yet somehow make me whole, it gives me hope and feeds my soul." And this is exactly what you can expect to find on The Dreamer, an album that reaffirms Bogle's position as one of the world's most thoughtful songwriters, with a collection of songs brimming with humanity and respect, that will raise knowing smiles and painful tears in equal amounts.

Click here to visit Eric's website!

DVD REVIEW : Bellowhead - 'Live At Shepherds Bush Empire'

2009-04-14T19:56:00.004+01:00

Bellowhead, 'Live At Shepherds Bush Empire'
(Westpark Music, 2009)

My first experience of Bellowhead was sat on the front row at a live gig, where I was drunk on the euphoric music that unfolded in front of me. Then I got hold of their two albums, which are both wonderful, but don't quite convey the energy and subtleties that you will witness in their live performance. So, with this DVD, I was hoping again to witness the band in their full and gloriously eccentric technicolour, and be able to recall that initial euphoria from the comfort of my own sofa.

Filmed in September 2007, those familiar with Bellowhead will probably be familiar with the set list here. There is just one track, "Spectre Review," from their second album of last year, Matachin, whilst they play almost the majority of their 2006 début album, Burlesque, alongside a few tracks from their 2004 EP, E.P.onymous.

Having the visuals to accompany the music really does give a truer representation of the live vitality that this band possesses. The flamboyant, theatrical manner with which instruments are played, and the commanding stage presence of Jon Boden are all here to see, and for me this is as important as the music itself -- it's what makes this band the utter joy that they are. We also get to keep the witty, irreverent song introductions, and enjoy the contrast between the plummy southern counties accents alongside Rachel McShane's gorgeous Yorkshire enunciation. The fury with which Jon Boden attacks his fiddle, the dizzying fretwork of Benji Kirkpatrick, the way John Spiers almost rips apart his various melodeons and concertinas, and the most interesting set of percussion you might ever witness -- all these quirks are here, and contribute much to my enjoyment of this mighty band.

There are some extra features included that are as interesting as they are quirky! A 'tour diary' gives a hint at the diversity of the off-stage characters that form the band, and leaves you in no doubt as to how the band achieves such a bold, enigmatic stage presence. Similarly, a 'Bellowhead on Bellowhead' feature lets each member of the band give their own story of how they became involved in Bellowhead, and their thoughts on the band's endeavours, though much of this is presented very much with tongue-in-cheek! Most enlightening is a twenty-five minute interview with John Spiers, who speaks passionately and knowledgeably about English traditional music, as well as giving an interesting insight in to the events that lead to himself and Jon Boden pursuing the idea of Bellowhead into fruition.

Bellowhead are without doubt one of the most exciting bands working in Britain at the moment, and this DVD is a great audio-visual snapshot of their journey -- let's hope it's a long journey that takes us to many more exhilarating places!

Click here to visit Bellowhead's website!

Click here to visit Bellowhead on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Clive Gregson - 'The Best Of'

2009-04-13T09:58:00.001+01:00

Clive Gregson, 'The Best Of' (Gregsongs, 2009)

Clive Gregson has never really attracted the attention that has been lavished on many of his peers, though with a career that spans three decades he has contributed a remarkable body of work to the world of music. This eighteen-track retrospective album provides a welcome opportunity to take another look at some of Gregson's music, with some previously unheard demo versions giving an alternate view to the album recordings.

As a song writer, Gregson seems to really hit his stride when his songs are built around characters and places that hold a generic appeal, whilst imparting a personal and intimate narrative. Characters and heroes of every day suburbia are vividly bought to life by Gregson's lyrics, with telling details that will provide universal appeal, allowing the listener to really engage with the story. "I Love This Town" is a pithy vignette that could apply to the banalities any town, with its twitching curtains, rent arrears, heart attacks and rush hour traffic -- the very essence of bustling suburbia distilled into wryly observed verses, ultimately suggesting that the line "I love this town" is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. "Camden Town" is a song of unbridled love to some girl-next-door, "a queen without a crown," where Gregson turns the ordinariness of the situation into a poignant love story, that will probably cause each listener to recall their very own special sweetheart. With "Fred Astaire," Gregson taps in to the escapist fantasies of every soul trapped in a humdrum working life, where the "pen-pushing clown" dreams of Friday nights spent dancing, "in search of excitement, intrigue and romance." The tragedy of the character is summed up with the lamentable line: "the rest of the week I'm just taking up space."

Soaring and poignant, passion-filled ballads also feature prominently. "Home Is Where The Heart Is" tells of broken promises, and the ultimate relief of a return home to a loved one, delivered with a sumptuous and commanding vocal. Gregson even manages to tame the 1980's synth-driven sound on a wonderful reading of "Touch And Go," that offers a foreboding take on the uncertainty and trepidation between two would-be lovers.

It may seem churlish to ponder the reasons why Gregson hasn't achieved the same level of recognition afforded to some of his peers, but on listening to this collection, one wonders whether it might be Gregson's pursuit of perfection. The smooth vocals and precisely executed instrumentation might lack the bite or adrenalin that can be found in the delivery of Richard Thompson or John Martyn, for example. For further evidence, take a listen to the way that Nanci Griffith turns "I Love This Town" into a fun-filled, hillbilly-rock performance that illuminates the characters and sentiments with an attention-grabbing intensity, that Gregson doesn't quite manage here.

Setting aside these minor doubts, this collection is a really enjoyable set of songs and performances, and highlights a body of work that genuinely deserves wider appreciation. Flitting between gentle folk-pop and full-blown power-ballad arrangements, Gregson's songs hold the same allure, and are similar in vein, to those that have featured highly in the charts by The Beautiful South. They share a sensitivity and insight into contemporary, day-to-day life, that distances them from starry-eyed celebrity musings and gives them a treasured place in the heart of listeners. Britain really should wake up and appreciate one of its finest exponents of song writing... it's long overdue.

Click here to visit Clive's website!

Click here to visit Clive on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Nancy Wallace - 'Old Stories'

2009-04-08T11:56:00.005+01:00

Nancy Wallace, 'Old Stories'
(Midwich Records, 2009)

Old Stories is the beguiling début release from Nancy Wallace, comprising a half-dozen of Wallace's own compositions alongside three traditional songs. This is an effortless breeze of an album, where the traditional and contemporary intermingle seamlessly, and where traditional nuances permeate throughout. It is Wallace's undeniably gorgeous and waif-like voice that is the core attraction here, with a delicate intonation that seduces the ear. Wallace demonstrates a similar lightness of touch when playing the accordion or concertina, lending the album solid traditional credentials whilst maintaining the hauntingly evocative atmosphere conjured up by her voice. Sensitively rippling guitar and ukulele add further to the relentless prettiness of the arrangements.

Wallace's own songs are gently contemplative, with a distinctly English reservedness about them, and tidy arrangements that hark back to the sound pioneered by Nick Drake. For me it is Wallace's outstanding interpretations of the three traditional songs that really stand proud. "I Live Not Where I Love" sounds thoughtfully introspective, with the fragility of Wallace's voice perfectly bearing the pain of parted lovers, whilst the same fragility lends an eerie menace to "The Drowned Lover." The subject of parting lovers is revisited on "The True Lover's Farewell," receiving a similarly sadness-drenched treatment. Wallace's sparing approach to interpretation of traditional song is sure to win the hearts of listeners, with her simple yet fresh arrangements.

Old Stories may well prove to be one of 2009's finest recordings from the English folk scene.

http://www.nancywallace.co.uk/

ALBUM REVIEW : Dhachaigh / Home - The Murdo Macfarlane Songbook

2009-03-19T21:42:00.002Z

Various Artists, 'Dhachaigh / Home - The Murdo Macfarlane Songbook'
(An Lanntair, 2008)

This is an interesting recording that marries the traditional with the contemporary in a moving tribute to the Hebridean poet, Murdo Macfarlane. The Murdo Macfarlane Songbook has been celebrated in a number of concerts over the last few years, taking to stages in Macfarlane's native Lewis and Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival. This album features music commissioned for those concerts alongside recordings of Macfarlane's work from those involved in the concerts.

Paul Mounsey contributes two specially commissioned pieces of music that act as bookends to the recording. At the beginning is "Dhachaidh/Home," painting a mournful, ethereal scene with synths and strings. "Till/Return" provides a fitting finale, being more triumphant though nonetheless moving. Mairead Maclennan adds strikingly desolate readings of excerpts from the Macfarlane poem, "Her Image Is A Guiding Star To Me," over both pieces.

Calum Alex Macmillan gives a lucid reading of "Tobair Tobair Sìolaidh," accompanied by the haunting soprano saxophone of Fraser Fifield, a glorious example of a bold contemporary arrangement that subtly augments the sentiments of the original work. In one of the stand-out moments of the album, utmost purity of voice is demonstrated by Isobel Ann Martin on her tender rendition of " 's Fhada Leann An Oidhche Gheamhraidh," with a dobro lending shades of the new world in which Macfarlane was exiled when writing this piece.

A lively, engaging fiddle composition from Alasdair White lifts the tempo somewhat, whilst a Blair Douglas instrumental arrangement of "Cànan Nan Gàidheal" comes across as both reflective and quietly celebratory.

There are a few vocal tracks that fall well short of the standards set by the majority of the album, letting down what would otherwise be an entirely enjoyable recording.

Click here to read more about Dhachaigh on the An Lanntair website!

ALBUM REVIEW : Maranna McCloskey - 'At Last'

2009-03-15T19:33:00.003Z

Maranna McCloskey, 'At Last' (McCloskey Music, 2008)

There are any number of female singers who peddle a blend of traditional and contemporary song, but few seem to strike the balance quite so well as Maranna McCloskey. Bland and clichéd traditional pastiche is firmly avoided on At Last, yet a subtle contemporary treatment is applied that doesn't detract at all from the traditional roots that feature so proudly. What's more, Maranna can actually sing. This may sound a little obvious, but what I mean is that she doesn't allow her voice to wither in the background in a faux Celtic mysticism. When Maranna sings you enjoy the full palette of her soulful voice, subtly morphing to complement the nature of the song. In many respects Maranna could draw comparisons to the likes of Dolores Keane, in as much as she has something worthy to give to any song, regardless of its origin, though it is the sensibilities of the tradition that undoubtedly flavour her work. At Last was recorded in San Diego with a collection of American and Irish ex-pat musicians, and it's this distance from home that takes the music in an interesting direction.

It's to the tradition that Maranna turns to open the album, with a vibrant reading of "Going To Mass Last Sunday," where the cadence of Maranna's voice contributes as much to the playful pace as Jon Szanto's imaginative percussion, or the racing uilleann pipes of Eric Rigler. This is followed with the complete contrast of "Cá Raibh Tú Ar Feadh An Lae Uaim?" (Where Have You Been All Day?), where Maranna turns in a sublime vocal, with a captivating clarity of enunciation. Mary Szanto's cello and an elegant guitar arrangement from producer, Brian Baynes, bring added class, though the sheer beauty of Maranna's voice is truly in a class of its own.

Maranna's own songs certainly warrant further attention, aimed firmly at the discerning, contemporary adult music market. "Our Last Embrace" provides the first opportunity, with a committed vocal played alongside a sultry saxophone. "Hold me / Won't you kiss me tenderly?" -- I certainly wouldn't have to be asked twice! "Fraser Island," Maranna's paean to the Aboriginal history of the island, is already the recipient of an Irish American News award following its inclusion on an earlier EP, and it's not difficult to understand why this expansive lyric would attract such an accolade.

The crowning glory of the album for me is Maranna's extraordinarily beautiful rendition of "The Verdant Braes Of Screen." It's not that there's anything at all wrong with the sensitive instrumental accompaniment, but I'd love to hear the vocal track alone, just to be assured that it really is that beautiful! Maranna's voice never sounds forced, never stretched, never false -- she genuinely has a naturally effortless approach to traditional material, to which few singers could lay claim.

I genuinely hope that Maranna sets about spreading her magic further through the traditional repertoire.

Click here to visit Maranna's website!

Click here to visit Maranna on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Rachel Hair - 'The Lucky Smile'

2009-03-11T19:29:00.003Z

Rachel Hair, 'The Lucky Smile' (March Hair Records, 2009)

Rachel's impressive debut album, Hubcaps & Potholes, explored the harp as a solo instrument, in a collection that showcased the instrument's versatility, from its poised and delicate beauty, through to its enigmatic, expansive flourishes. For her second album, The Lucky Smile, Rachel showcases the harp, or clarsach as it is also known in her native Scotland, within a band setting, further considering the appeal and adaptability that this beautiful instrument can hold.

There are some very obvious musicians on the folk scene that Rachel could easily have called upon to provide accompaniment on The Lucky Smile, but it is testament to her musical inquisitiveness and ingenuity, that Rachel chose to seek some less obvious companions to work with on this project. Infiltrating the Scottish jazz scene, Rachel has commandeered some of Scotland's most lucid and innovative musicians. Paul Tracey on guitar, Andy Sharkey on double bass, and Scott MacKay on drums. Added to this mix is Paul Jennings, one of Scotland's foremost percussionists, whose supple rhythms add to the energy of the whole ensemble. To the musically attuned, just the thought of this combination is enticing, when you listen to The Lucky Smile, the reality is absolutely enthralling.

Many of the compositions here are Rachel's own work, alongside a few traditional tunes and compositions by fellow musicians. The albums begins with the ensemble in full swing on the set "Back Home" comprising two compositions by Gordon Gunn and Karen Tweed, sandwiching the traditional tune, "Flora Macdonald's" Andy Sharkey's languid double bass provides much depth, whilst Paul Tracey's guitar adds supple textures. Rachel's harp races away frivolously, leaving a trail of the most glorious, colourful notes, whilst the drums of Scott Mackay attempts to tame the rhythm.

Even when flying solo on the splendid slow air, "Blue Hills Of Antrim" Rachel delivers the most heartbreaking and spellbinding performance, harnessing the most subtle and expressive aspects of her harp, in an arrangement where the carefully measured silences contribute to the intensity just as much as each resolutely plucked string. With "I Lost My Harp In Barcelona" Rachel well and truly soaks up the Spanish ambience, you can almost smell the paella and taste the sangria, with the cajon of Paul Jennings instilling an exotic rhythm.

A couple of tracks feature guest singer, Joy Dunlop, who contributes her crystalline Gaelic vocals, sounding all the more classy when delivered over Rachel's sublime, rippling harp. A Fhleasgaich Oig As Ceanalta is one of the most beautiful Gaelic love songs you will hear, sung by Joy with a palpable longing, whilst Rachel's harp accentuates the drama. The harmonium of Angus Lyon gives a rounded swell to underpin the arrangement, and Paul Jennings' percussion lends contemporary spirit.

Elsewhere, one can find slow reels, marches and jigs, all fleshed out by the jazz sensibilities of the accompanying musicians. It's this subtle fusion of genre flavours that makes The Lucky Smile so appealing. You don't need to be a fervent admirer of traditional music to get this. it's brimming with spirit and vitality, with a unique and undeniable appeal. It would be easy to lose yourself in each and every track on The Lucky Smile. It would be easy for me to wax lyrical about each and every note, describing the subtle nuances and the mesmeric arrangements, but I've probably said enough now. You really should buy yourself a copy of this album and get drunk on its intoxicating charms.

Click here to visit Rachel's website!

Click here to visit Rachel on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Alyth - 'People Like Me'

2009-03-09T22:15:00.002Z

Alyth, 'People Like Me' (Navigator Records, 2009)

Drawing from a breadth of influences of personal resonance, Lewis-born Alyth McCormack presents an eclectic contemporaneous collection on this, her second album. Alyth mixes fresh arrangements of traditional Gaelic song with interpretations of songs from stalwart songsmiths, such as Suzanne Vega, Boo Hewerdine and Del Amitri's Justin Currie.

Alyth's voice doesn't behold the insipid prettiness exhibited by many female singers, particularly in the Gaelic genre, instead providing a wonderfully textured voice where spirit abounds. Alyth sings with a radiant commitment that really draws you to the songs, willing you to engage and understand, and flooding you with equal parts comfort and utter joy

Album opener, the traditional "Nuair Bha Mi Òg" receives a soaring, contemporary makeover, courtesy of Ewan Vernal's purring double bass, the agile saxophone of Fraser Fifield, and Noel Eccles' discreet, rhythmic percussion. Alyth's spirited vocal lays effortlessly over the arrangement, like a silk gown draped over the shoulders of a lithesome femme fatale. Further Gaelic delights can be heard on an energetic set of puirt a beul, "The Vices Set," where Alyth attacks each syllable with precision and grit, in a vocal that will leave you breathless as it reaches a frenzied denouement. In total contrast is Alyth's tender and beautiful vocal on "A Mhairead Òg," a bewitching Gaelic ballad.

David McDade's "The Beautiful Lie" was covered by Dolly Parton on her Little Sparrow album, and here Alyth blends her own Lewis enunciation with Dolly's Appalachian tones in a fragile vocal that is every bit as emotive as Dolly's own version. Suzanne Vega's "The Queen And The Soldier" offers compelling evidence of how Alyth deploys her acting talents within her vocal performance, borrowing the disdain and indignation from Vega's lyrics and applying it vividly to the song's characters, in this charged interpretation.

I've always regarded "I Wonder What's Keeping My True Love Tonight" as the tale of a rather helpless character, but Alyth invests it with a palpable strength of character here -- the line "and when I'm not with you, I'll love whom I please" stands out as a bold brush-off, in a way that I've never really picked up on before I countless other renditions. The album closes with the title track, "People Like Me," a personal introspective musing, that considers the merits of clinging to past glories against the woes of modern society, with a firm focus on cutting through the mysticism and considering the human aspect of the here and now.

There is plenty to engage with throughout People Like Me. Warmth, strength and fragility all sit side by side, woven together under the wondrous spell cast by Alyth's vivid and full-bodied voice.

Click here to visit Alyth's website!

Click here to visit Alyth on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Bill Evans & Megan Lynch - 'Let's Do Something...'

2009-02-28T22:02:00.002Z

Let's Do Something... marries a collection of contemporary songs with the bluegrass flavours of Bill Evans (banjo, guitars) and, Megan Lynch (fiddle), in a refreshingly simple, yet immediately affecting album. Their duetting vocals and stripped back arrangements are not dissimilar to those of Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, though Evans and Lynch manage to be not quite so austere.

A couple of sets of tunes composed by Evans punctuate the contemporary songs. "The Distance Between Two" provides the opportunity to sample Evans' dexterous banjo picking alongside Lynch's fiddle, that provides both subtle accompaniment, and soaring solo interludes. Conversely, "Sleeping Lady" is played out with utmost restraint, with a forlorn banjo plucked sedately over a weeping string arrangement.

The diverse choice of songs that Evans and Lynch have selected come from the pens of some of the world's most celebrated writers. More importantly, they steer clear of a lazy recital of the originals, coming up with some inventive and truly engaging interpretations, subtly blending with their impressive bluegrass sensibilities.

Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" gets a new lease of life, sounding every bit as winsome and poetic as Drake's words ever do, but with a relatively sprightly arrangement that belies the song's age, wonderfully proving the point that the best songs truly are timeless. The fact that Evans and Lynch perform the vocal as a duet, steers the song away from any loneliness found in Drake's original, investing it with a comforting warmth. Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic" receives a similarly buoyant makeover, sounding almost as if it had been written as a bluegrass standard. Maybe that's exactly what Van The Man had in mind?

There are some more obvious song candidates drawn from a broad folk/americana repertoire, such as John Gorka's "Morningside" or Chris Coole's "Old Dog," that unsurprisingly take well to the bluegrass treatment. However, even on a quirky cover of We The Kings' "Check Yes Juliet," that receives a deal more production work than any other track here, Evans and Lynch manage to be convincing, in a hillbilly-rock kind of way!

Give Let's Do Something... a try! I think you'll love it... just for the fact that it's different!

Click here to visit Bill and Megan on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Martin Messent - 'Blues For Plankton'

2009-02-23T23:10:00.000Z

"For the most part, Messent sings with a sturdy purr that threatens to break in to a growl that he never quite reaches, resulting in a warm vocal that sounds more vulnerable than it does threatening..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Martin Messent on MySpace!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : The Martin Green Machine - 'First Sighting'

2009-02-14T00:01:00.001Z

"If you would describe an album that is a little out of the ordinary as being a breath of fresh air, then you might well describe this as being a tropical storm. First Sighting is as wacky and refreshing as the Boo Cook illustrations that adorn the album's artwork, and like that artwork, it contains vivid and detailed ornamentation that rewards closer examination..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit The Martin Green Machine's website!

Click here to visit The Martin Green Machine on MySpace!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

Celtic Connections 2009

2009-02-08T17:37:00.000Z

Well, I'd love to be able to report that I was able to attend Celtic Connections for the entirety of its three weeks, but I had to make do with a music packed three days from Friday 23rd January to Sunday 25th January -- but what a great three days they were!

"Celtic Connections is without doubt one of the premier events on the European festival calendar. Festival director Donald Shaw and his team work tirelessly to put on a festival that continually manages to innovate and excite, across a broad range of musical genres that complement the native traditions... a fantastic event, of which Glasgow can be justifiably proud."

You can read my full review here, on Green Man Review!

ALBUM REVIEW : The Old Dance School - 'Based On A True Story'

2009-01-27T22:43:00.002Z

"The Old Dance School are a youthful, vibrant and dynamic six-piece band who offer an absorbing and imaginative take on traditional music, whilst also borrowing from various European traditions for their own accomplished compositions... they're guaranteed to get feet tapping, and bodies dancing, and Robin Beatty's voice might even melt a few hearts along the way!"

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit The Old Dance School's website!

Click here to visit The Old Dance School on MySpace!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Clannad - 'Beginnings - The Best Of The Early Years'

2009-01-19T22:17:00.003Z

"Beginnings is a comprehensive retrospective of the Irish band, Clannad, spanning the period from their eponymous début of 1973 through to 1982's Tara Records release, Fuaim... what's remarkable about listening back to some of these early recordings, is how fresh and inventive they sound, their resounding vitality still very much apparent after all these years..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit the official Clannad website!

Click here to visit Clannad fansite on MySpace!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Fotheringay - 'Fotheringay' & '2'

2009-01-11T20:27:00.001Z

Photo by Linda Fitzgerald Moore, 1970

Shortly after Christmas, the editor at Green Man Review started off a discussion on our staff e-mail list, asking us to talk about our favourite English folk rock recordings. It's a bad idea to contribute to these discussions as you know it will always result in you being asked to write something! In my case I volunteered enthusiastically to write about Fotheringay, a short-lived band centered around the sublime writing and vocals of Sandy Denny. For many years, there was just one album that the band left behind, their eponymous debut from 1970. A second album was planned but never finished -- until last year when remarkably, Jerry Donahue (Fotheringay's lead guitarist), assembled what he could from the sessions where the band prepared for this second album.

My review of 'Fotheringay' and '2' have been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read them!

Click here to read the rest of this edition of Green Man Review to find out what other English folk rock was discussed!

Click here to visit the official Fotheringay MySpace page!

2008: The Year in Live Music

2009-01-02T00:04:00.000Z

I've probably been to more gigs this year, than any year that has gone before. I've not really reviewed that many live gigs this year, largely due to the fact that I barely have time to get through the mountain of CDs that sit in a box beneath my desk, but also because I like to take time out at a gig, to completely lose myself in that very personal and intense experience that live music provides.

Live music started with quite a bang back in January, courtesy of a storming live set from Bellowhead, at the Galeri venue in Caernarfon. Bellowhead are a formidable live act who physically filled the venue's small stage, and sonically filled the auditorium with their cacophony of sound! Bellowhead are an easy band to enjoy -- they don't just turn up and play, they give the audience a real performance. Their jovial banter and somewhat camp delivery belies a serious and knowledgeable reinterpretation of the English traditions with their inimitable vaudeville-folk fusion. You can read what I said at the time about this gig, here!

As January drew to a close I headed up to Glasgow to dip into the phenomenal Celtic Connections festival for its final few days. The gigs I saw ranged from a small, intimate set from renowned fiddler, Angus Grant, to a blistering live spectacle from Capercaillie in the Old Fruitmarket venue. My festival club experiences were in equal parts, bewildering, indifferent and awesome... and I'm actually looking forward to those late nights next year! The highlight for me was certainly that Capercaillie gig -- I'd waited almost fifteen years to see them live and I was so excited to have finally made it to one of their gigs! There is a full report of my few days at Celtic Connections over on Green Man Review.

After having waited fifteen years to see Capercaillie live, it was somewhat ironic that only a few weeks later, at the end of February, I would be seeing them again at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. I was surprised by how different an experience this was to the Glasgow gig some weeks earlier -- Glasgow had been a very full-on, vibrant and pulsating gig, whereas tonight's audience witnessed a more relaxed and reserved Capercaillie. The Glasgow gig was almost like a hedonistic party for me, but Manchester allowed me the time and space to get under the skin of the music and listen to the contribution of each individual musician, in particular the unerring beauty of Karen Matheson's striking vocals. I also had great fun watching the band's stand-in percussionist, Signy Jacobsdottir, who was possibly the busiest musician on stage!

I had to wait over two months for my next gig in early May, and this was Dòchas performing at the Bury Met, as part of the Big Whistle Weekend. As can be expected when some of the finest traditional musicians gather on one stage, tonight was a typically consummate performance from Dòchas. Julie Fowlis proved again why she is one of the finest Gaelic singers in the business, and Shetland fiddler, Jenna Reid, proceeded to make every other fiddle player seem quite ordinary by comparison. Martin O'Neill was as ever industrious on the bodhrán, and the mighty sound of the dual bagpipes that finished tonight's set treated the audience to a rousing finale!

Later on in May I was back in Caernarfon's Galeri to see Patrick Street. I'd decided to go to this gig at the last minute and it wasn't until I was sat in my seat looking over to the stage that it actually dawned on me, that tonight I was witnessing two of folk music's most legendary proponents: Andy Irvine and Kevin Burke. And I wasn't to be disappointed! There's a certain ease about going to see established musicians such as these -- they've nothing to prove. They just get on with what they do best... great music... amiable stage banter... it was all so relaxed.

On a complete impulse, I bought a ticket to see the Tea Hodzic Trio, back in Caernarfon's Galeri. My reward for this blind faith was one of the most enlightening evenings of music in my whole year. A native of Sarajevo, Tea and her musical comrades -- Oli Wilson-Dickson on violin, and Luke Carver Goss on accordion -- illuminated the stage with their Balkan sounds and rhythms. I don't think I have ever witnessed such an intense vocal performance as that given by Tea tonight. Despite the fact that she was largely singing in a language that I didn't understand, she was emotionally teetering on the edge all night, with a palpable rawness that proved both edgy and immediate. The whole evening was both utterly moving and absolutely uplifting -- a real roller coaster of emotions. One of my most enjoyable accidental discoveries in music this year!

I have been listening to Irish singer-songwriter, Eleanor McEvoy, since the release of her eponymous début solo album, back in 1993. So again, I was tonight seeing somebody live for the first time, after fifteen years of avidly following their career in music! Eleanor has a great insight in to contemporary relationships, and her songs age with you nicely, revisiting themes of unrequited love, taking a more cynical viewpoint as age and experience change her outlook. Eleanor is a rare one-woman band, with a collection that included guitars, fiddle and bodhrán, allowing for a formidable variety of textures and rhythms. Alexander's in Chester was the venue for tonight, probably one of the most intimate venues I would visit this year -- I was able to sit on my own at the back and quietly welcome the old friends that I consider many of Eleanor's songs to be.

A hot June day was the perfect weather for a summer festival, and it was exciting to arrive at the bustling Cheshire town of Middlewich to catch up with harp player, Rachel Hair, accompanied by guitarist, Paul Tracey. This was an afternoon gig at the Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival, and proved the perfect opportunity for my then six-month-old daughter, Holly, to attend her first gig! Holly was very well behaved and even had a tune dedicated to her! Rachel performed in the appropriately serene surroundings of St. Michael & All Angels Church, providing beautifully resonant acoustics as the harp and guitar filled the building. It was a typically impassioned performance from Rachel, who never fails to amaze me with a playing technique that embraces both stillness and fervour.

In August I hopped on a ferry from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire to catch a gig by Éamon Doorley, Julie Fowlis, Ross Martin and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, showcasing music from their album, Dual. The set was opened by the talented multi-instrumentalist, Michelle Mulcahy, who enchanted the audience with her adeptness on the harp, fiddle and accordion. The main act was a real showcase of Gaelic singing, with Muireann and Julie's voices perfectly complementing each other, ably supported by the rhythmic intricacies of Éamon's bouzouki and Ross' guitar. Tonight was a relaxed evening of beautiful songs and enticing tunes.

It was then quite a wait until October for the next gig: Tom Russell at Galeri in Caernarfon. A genuine troubadour of a music, Tom easily deserves to be considered amongst the same company as Van Zandt or Cash, his songs possessed of a gritty warmth and candour that can only be the result of a hard-living, hard-loving life. Tonight's performance found Tom in particular ebullient spirits, despite having to deal with a local heckler, combining brooding tenderness with an ardent brawn as the songs required. Michael Martin provided well-ornamented accompaniment on guitar and mandolin, adding texture and cadence.

One week later, back in Galeri, I was enjoying the Québécois trio, Genticorum. The sound is always excellent quality in Galeri, and tonight, it seemed particularly good. The rich and resonant three-part harmonies flooded the auditorium with the most wonderfully replete sounds. Genticorum are a trio with an impressive energy on stage -- Pascal Gemme's driving and dynamic foot stamping gives them a formidable heartbeat. There is something totally unconstrained about Genticorum; their music flows so freely. Tonight was one of the most enjoyable nights of music for me.

A trip back to the Bury Met was well worthwhile to catch a sublime Karen Matheson gig. The little stage at The Met was packed with instruments for a gig that saw double bass player, Ewan Vernal, return from paternity leave. The combination of Donald Shaw's piano and Karen's bewitching voice provided some of the most elegant music I've heard this year, whilst the guitars and earthy harmonies of James Grant added extra potency.

As October turned to November, I was up in Yorkshire for Wetherby Festival's Folk In The Fall. This was an intimate festival, run by people who are passionate about the arts, and this was very much evident in the quality of the line-up. The presentation was similarly excellent -- you really couldn't have wished for better sound quality all weekend. The weekend was particularly enjoyable, not just for the music, but for the company, as I was fortunate enough to spend my time in Wetherby with some very good friends. There is a full report on Folk In The Fall over on folking.com.

My final gig of the year was the closing night of Julie Fowlis' UK tour. This was my first visit to the cavernous Haden Freeman Concert Hall at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music, and I found it to be a very comfortable, spacious venue that really let the sound travel well, without letting the amplification reach overwhelming proportions. The opening act was Emily Smith, accompanied by her husband, Jamie McClennan on guitar. Emily sang with a beguiling clarity, her sprightly fingers dancing along the keys of her accordion , showcasing some truly beautiful self-penned songs from her latest album. Julie and the band were on great form, and were tonight joined by the ubiquitous Martin O'Neill and his bodhrán. Julie's singing was of course every bit as classy as the rather grand venue, and we were treated to her Gaelic interpretation of The Beatles' "Blackbird," that was at the time benefiting from frequent radio airplay across the country. The star songs were of course Julie's native Gaelic renditions, songs that by now sound like old friends to me. I didn't intend that this would be my final gig of 2008, but I couldn't have wished for a better way to finish the year.

I'd like to thank all the friends, old and new, who have accompanied me to gigs this year or met up with me at a gig -- it's great to share these magical, musical moments in such good company.

ALBUM REVIEWS : The Best of 2008!

2008-12-29T22:00:00.003Z

Out of all the albums I've had the honour of reviewing in 2008, these are my favourites -- the ones that really resonate with me, the ones I keep going back to. Some were an inevitable love affair, others took me totally by surprise. All are now treasured and much enjoyed by this listener's ears!

I've written a few words about each album -- sometimes I've said all I wanted in my review, but in other instances there are thoughts that have occurred to me since writing the review. If you click on the artist's names then you will be taken to their website. If you click on the album titles, you will be taken to my original review.

It was in January this year that I first heard Fiona Mackenzie's début solo album, Elevate, and I was immediately gripped by this wonderful recording. The lyrical simplicity of Fiona's writing belies a warm and undeniably moving sentiment throughout, and there is a fragility in Fiona's voice that you can't help but fall for. Calum Malcolm's exquisite production inevitably lifts the album beyond the ordinary, with some inspired arrangements and an ethereal soundscape that draws you in to a world that boasts both comfort and eeriness. Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball album, produced by the equally adept Daniel Lanois, is one of Fiona's favourite albums, and with Elevate, Fiona has her very own Wrecking Ball -- the sound being every bit as challenging, the totality being every bit as awe-inspiring. In my review I said that Elevate "has album of the year written all over it," and I still stand by this remark -- in fact I won't hesitate to tell you that Elevate IS without a doubt my favourite album of 2008! I really can't encourage you enough to make this wonderful discovery for yourself!

For Edwina Hayes' second album, it was an inspired choice to go back to basics with a stripped-back acoustic sound. Pour Me A Drink is all the better for this, providing the perfect setting for you to appreciate the emotional delicacies of Edwina's heart-wrenching writing and the sweetest of voices that acts as a constant reminder that Edwina only ever writes and sings straight from the heart.

Mabon are led by the talented Welsh accordion player, Jamie Smith, who composed all eight tracks on their latest release, OK Pewter. This is an exciting marriage of Celtic and European influences that results in an album of infectious flamboyance. It's really is great fun!

Krista Detor was a new name to me this year, and it's a name and voice that I'll never forget. Close Their Eyes defies categorisation, which means that Detor has her work cut out finding an audience, though I defy anybody not be seduced by her sultry tones and relaxed delivery. Krista brings together traces of the lyrical kookiness of Suzanne Vega with the heartfelt soul of Natalie Merchant, yet manages to be very much her own woman.

I've been aware of Johnny Duhan's songs, largely through the repertoire of successful Irish artists who have astutely chosen to cover his songs. Just Another Town is noteworthy for the title track alone -- a personal homage to a home town that manages to be both introspective and panoramic. Duhan speaks of life in a way that manages to be intensely personal yet almost universally applicable. For me, listening to Johnny's songs is never a passive experience.

Primary Transmission is the album that took me most by surprise this year. Musically, it couldn't be further away from anything that I would usually listen to, yet at it's soul was something that I could hold very dear. Broadcaster took excerpts from the original Radio Ballads of the 1950s and 1960s and wove them into some thoroughly modern dance beats and grooves. The result is a mesmerising collision between voices and values of an almost forgotten yesteryear, with the bold, anarchic sounds of contemporary disarray -- nothing short of breathtaking!

Corrina Hewat crafted an album of great intensity with Harp I Do, an album of largely self-penned, contemporary, solo harp music. It's not just the performance of the music here that makes this album so special and so intense, the manner in which the album was recorded contributes greatly. As the listener, you're not detached from this recording, it's as if you're stood alongside Corrina whilst she's playing -- you don't just hear the melody, you actually hear Corrina playing the melody, and it's being able to witness the intimacy between the musician and the instrument that generates such intensity.

You're unlikely to encounter many more Gaelic singers with the authenticity of Margaret Stewart, and although authenticity alone would not necessarily make for a great album, Margaret deploys her undeniable credibility in some fittingly beautiful musical surroundings on Togaidh Mì Mo Sheolta. Each note is sung with utmost grace and accompanied by the most sublime instrumentation, to give a recording that is as gracious as the swan that adorns the album's artwork.

Dual is an exciting project that brings together two musicians from Ireland: Éamon Doorley and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, with two musicians from Scotland: Julie Fowlis and Ross Martin. These four musicians represent the finest young musicians working in traditional music and together they explore the Gaelic languages and musical cultures of their native lands. As well as being an endeavour packed with interest and intrigue, Dual stands proud as an accomplished recording that is an absolute joy to listen to, illuminating some less well-known similarities and disparities between these ancient cultures.

Water & Light heralds the arrival of an impressive song-writing talent in the shape of Ireland's Gareth Davies-Jones. With an ability to articulate insightful social commentary, romanticise about seemingly inert objects, and importantly weave a great story, Gareth appears to have all the right ingredients at his fingertips. Water & Light combines these ingredients within folk-tinged, pop-flavoured arrangements that never detract from the earnestness of the lyric, and importantly hold a broad appeal with potential to reach far and wide.

Patsy Reid has created a remarkably mature and complete piece of work with Bridging The Gap, bringing together her love and understanding of classical and traditional music in an assembly of compositions that are certain to catapult Patsy to the upper echelons of Scotland's most celebrated musicians. I have no doubt that Bridging The Gap will in time prove to be a landmark recording that will see Patsy command the same reverence as such notable musical luminaries as Shaun Davey or Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin.

There are of course a good number of great albums that I've not had the chance to review that would certainly have made it on to this list: Capercaillie's Roses & Tears, Karine Polwart's This Earthly Spell and Bob Dylan's Tell Tale Signs are three that immediately spring to mind.

So, here's to 2009, and the prospect of more excellent music ahead -- particularly those surprises and happy little accidents!j

ALBUM REVIEW : Malinky - 'Flower & Iron'

2008-12-27T19:24:00.002Z

"Flower & Iron is possibly one of the most lucid folk releases of 2008. Blessed with three capable lead vocalists, who all boast considerable expressive talents, Malinky are a band who approach their music with an impassioned sincerity..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit the Malinky website!

Click here to visit the Malinky MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Harem Scarem - 'Storm In A Teacup'

2008-12-11T22:54:00.001Z

"Storm In A Teacup maintains a degree of excitement throughout, mainly because you never really know what to expect next, and that instils a real spirit and sense of spontaneity. It runs away with you to exhilarating highs and warmly comforts you thorough bitter-sweet moments of introspective doubt..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit the Harem Scarem website!

Click here to visit the Harem Scarem MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Patsy Reid - 'Bridging The Gap'

2008-12-01T00:02:00.002Z

"Bridging The Gap offers so much more than purely an album of recorded music -- it is an ambitious work of art, that is at times understated, at times sumptuous. Comprising nine original compositions, Reid has masterfully fused classical and Scottish traditional influences in a remarkably mature piece of work that evokes the sounds of such luminaries as Shaun Davey or Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. That her work merits worthy comparison with such esteemed names is all the more remarkable given that Reid is still in her twenties..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Patsy's website!

Click here to visit Patsy's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Gareth Davies-Jones - 'Water & Light'

2008-11-24T22:50:00.003Z

"Water & Light may well be one of the most perfect singer-songwriter albums that you will hear this year, or indeed any year. Hailing from Bangor in Northern Ireland, Davies-Jones borrows just enough from the folk traditions to imbue Water & Light with a deliciously inviting, roots-infused sound that avoids any folk clichés, whilst maintaining a breezy pop hue that is sure to appeal far beyond any genre boundaries..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit the Heading West Music website!

Click here to visit Gareth's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Brendan Mulholland, Brendan Hendry & Paul McSherry - 'Tuned Up'

2008-11-18T23:29:00.002Z

"This is an album of the most beautifully pure music. There is no unnecessarily fussy production, no wanton rhythm section muscling in on the action, just the gorgeously intoxicating sound of guitar, flute and fiddle working together in heavenly harmony..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Brendan Hendry's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Paul McSherry's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Brendan Mulholland's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : The Shee - ’A Different Season’

2008-11-16T11:08:00.002Z

"The Shee are six sexy, sassy young ladies, bursting with talent and vivacity. Boasting three distinct and delightful lead vocalists, their vocal union alone provides much enjoyment..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit The Shee's website!

Click here to visit The Shee's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

Wetherby Festival - Folk In The Fall (October 31st - November 1st 2008)

2008-11-14T19:01:00.001Z

I had an amazing music-filled weekend in Wetherby a couple of weeks ago, spent in the relaxed company of good friends and great musicians.

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit the Wetherby Festival website!

Click here to visit the Wetherby Festival MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies - 'Northern Echoes - Live On The Tyne'

2008-11-02T22:19:00.001Z

"Jez Lowe returned to the Northeast of England earlier this year with a series of concerts that presented songs from his repertoire that were influenced and inspired by the region's people and places. This recording is of one particular night on that tour, at the Caedmon Hall, Gateshead on Tyne..."

My review of 'Northern Echoes - Live On The Tyne' has been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read it!

Click here to visit Jez Lowe's website!

Click here to visit Jez Lowe's MySpace page!

ALBUM REVIEW : Kirsty McGee - 'The Kansas Sessions'

2008-10-22T21:19:00.001+01:00

"For me, Kirsty McGee falls into a similar category to Richard Thompson, transcending conventional genre boundaries, yet managing to retain a distinctively English sound, or maybe more accurately, a distinctively English quirkiness..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Kirsty's website!

Click here to visit Kirsty's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Bodega - 'Under The Counter'

2008-10-19T21:23:00.000+01:00

"Winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards in 2006, this vibrant Scottish five-piece return with their second album, a confident and colourful collection of songs and tunes, both traditional and contemporary. Bodega cut an edgy and imaginative rhythm with guitars, bass and the occasional djembe. A mighty wave of fiddles, pipes, whistles and accordion combine to provide some exhilarating melodies, whilst a shimmering clarsach adds shades of both serenity and drama..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Bodega's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Solas - 'For Love And Laughter'

2008-10-07T21:20:00.002+01:00

"The album begins with the charming sparkle of an exhilarating set of reels... This invigorating four minutes will leave you on the edge of your seat with anticipation of the roller-coaster ride that is to follow. And that was the problem for me -- the roller coaster has a tendency to come off the tracks on a number of occasions after this opening number."

My review of 'For Love And Laughter' has been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read it!

Click here to visit the Solas website!

Click here to visit the Solas MySpace page!

ALBUM REVIEW : Old Crow Medicine Show - 'Tennessee Pusher'

2008-10-02T22:30:00.002+01:00

"The five-piece Old Crow Medicine Show take an old-time American roots sound and give it a contemporary makeover, in much the same way that Gram Parsons did with country music some 40 years ago... Tennessee Pusher is warm, sincere music. It sneaks into your subconscious with its effortless cool and bleak beauty. It's distinctive American roots music -- with one hell of a kick!"

My review of 'Tennessee Pusher' has been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read it!

Click here to visit the Old Crow Medicine Show website!

Click here to visit the Old Crow Medicine Show MySpace page!

ALBUM REVIEW : Éamon Doorley, Julie Fowlis, Ross Martin & Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh - 'Dual'

2008-09-21T20:17:00.002+01:00

"It is a tribute to the four musicians involved that they have managed to present a heartfelt tribute to the disparities and parallels between the two musical cultures, whilst avoiding tedious cliché... Dual has a sound that bursts with pride -- it stands alone as an utterly enjoyable recording. The musical inheritance of Scotland and Ireland couldn't be in better hands."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Éamon Doorley's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Julie Fowlis' MySpace page!

Click here to visit Ross Martin's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh's MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Whapweasel - 'Colour'

2008-09-14T11:28:00.000+01:00

"Colour has an appealing sense of adventure, an edgy sense of the unexpected that delights and excites -- this is feel-good music, no doubt about it. Fearlessly criss-crossing genre boundaries and leaving no stone unturned, Whapweasel relinquish the constraints of musical inhibitions to create a brazen sound of unreserved joy."

My review of 'Colour' has been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read it!

Click here to to visit Whapweasel's website!

Click here to to visit Whapweasel's MySpace page!

ALBUM REVIEW : Darren Black - 'Thinkers & Fools'

2008-09-11T22:19:00.000+01:00

"Everything about Thinkers & Fools is likeable. Black's lyrics are thought-provoking and reflective; the instrumental arrangements are accomplished but never intrusive. One gets the feeling that this represents the early days in a career that has the potential to give rise to an impressive and influential body of work."

My review of 'Thinkers & Fools' has been published by Green Man Review.

Click here to read it!

Click here to to visit Darren's website!

Click here to to visit Darren's MySpace page!

ALBUM REVIEW : Rachel & Lillias - 'Dear Someone'

2008-09-08T22:27:00.001+01:00

"Dear Someone is an album possessed of a delicate beauty, with a sound that doesn't so much grab you, as sidles up to you, discretely slipping an arm round your shoulder and whispering softly in your ear..."

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Rachel & Lillias' website!

Click here to visit Rachel & Lillias' MySpace page!

Click here to visit Folking.com on MySpace!

ALBUM REVIEW : Bellowhead - 'Matachin'

2008-09-06T21:47:00.001+01:00

BELLOWHEAD ABSOLUTELY ROCK!!!

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

Click here to visit Bellowhead's website!

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Christina Stewart - Giving it Back to the Children

2008-09-01T21:07:00.003+01:00

It was great fun talking to Christina on the phone and asking her about her work with childrens' songs... and so much more! I hope I get the chance to write about another of her projects at some point in the future! This article is featured in issue 80 of The Living Tradition magazine.

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Christina Stewart - Giving it Back to the Children

Born and bred in Inverness, Christina Stewart shows her commitment to the oral traditions of Scotland in a particularly unique way, by bringing her knowledge and passion for traditional Scottish and Gaelic song to the youngest members of Scotland's populace. Inspired by motherhood to her own two children, and identifying her own lack of knowledge of traditional Scottish lullabies and children's songs, Christina set about on an ambitious project that was to culminate in the release of two albums and would find her travelling the length and breadth of Scotland, delivering workshops at toddler's groups.

I asked Christina about her initial motivation to launch these projects. 'My reason for getting involved in the first place, really wasn't so much that (childhood development), as the cultural aspect. When I had children myself, I wanted to sing to them and I realised that I didn't know as many lullabies as I thought I did. So I started looking at how to find some more and I found it wasn't that easy, so I thought there's obviously a need there, that's not being met -- from my point of view, I need songs and I can't find them. It was quite easy to get tapes with only English accents on them, and that didn't really resonate for my children'. Christina herself didn't have a treasure trove of children's songs to fill her repertoire and relied on not just her own childhood memories, but those of family and friends. 'I had to do a project when my eldest daughter was a couple of months old, Stimulating Creativity in the Childcare Sector, and I was asked to come in as a traditional singer, and I had no idea what to sing with children, and it didn't actually occur to me to sing children's songs with children. I started out thinking "what did we sing in the playground?", "what did my mother sing to me?"; starting from my own experience, trying to dredge up things and you'd remember half of something and it would take ages asking round your friends to see if they knew the rest of this song, because it's been twenty years since you'd sung it last. I did start off with some I knew myself. Before I did the toddler group workshops, I'd been doing quite a lot of children's workshops and I was finding certain things that worked and certain things that didn't work in that kind of group setting. Then I asked people: "I want to do this kind of activity with a child, do you know any songs, or what did people used to sing to you?"

I asked Christina what sort of response she got from parents who may not be familiar with traditional song or the Gaelic language. How did they react to being encouraged to join in and absorb some of the tradition themselves? 'In one group they didn't like that at all, but when we sold it to them on the basis of child development, they were perfectly happy. Basically I was saying to them: "In many ways it actually doesn't matter from a child development point of view what songs you sing, we happen to be choosing these songs because that's what I do, because I'm a traditional singer and these are the songs I know." Part of the reason they weren't comfortable with them was because they weren't familiar with them at all -- they wanted to sing Humpty Dumpty. I was just saying: "well, I'm giving you some new songs to broaden your repertoire, you already know Humpty Dumpty, so what's the point in me singing that to you."' By and large though, it appears that Christina was welcomed by many parents, and the fears that some parents needed to overcome were less to do with any prejudices they may have about traditional song, and more to do with a reluctance to sing in front of a group, or for some to even sing in front of their children. 'Some parents that I've met, and talked with and worked with... it's taken a while to build their confidence up enough to be able to sing to their own children, which sounds weird if you're in the habit of doing it, but to some parents that was a big deal just to do that. If you're from a small community and you know these people, it's quite hard for them to participate in something like singing. If a parent didn't want to sing, that's absolutely OK, because that's what I was there to do. We did have one lady, she didn't want to sing at home either, but she didn't object to the songs. So her three-year-old daughter went home and taught them to her big sister and she and her big sister would sit and sing them at home.'

The project prompted a recognition amongst some parents that the practice of singing and the passing on of children's songs may be something that had skipped a generation. Many parents recalled being sung to as a child by their own parents, but weren't necessarily continuing this as they became parents themselves. 'What I did find was that actually where you had grannies bringing the children to the toddler group, they were the ones who already knew the songs and were singing the songs, whereas the parents would say "my mum used to sing that and I never thought of singing it to my children." This is one of the things about taking these traditional songs into toddler groups, because maybe there's been a gap from granny to grandchild -- it's kind of skipped a generation. If there's no link there, then it's going to be lost, so you want to feed that back in, trigger it off and maybe make that link again. Certainly with the workshops we were doing, it got people talking about that.'

Getting the parents onside was one matter, but what about the children? How might they react? How easy was it to hold their attention and encourage them to participate? 'Most of them (the parents) were very open-minded and very happy to listen to what you had to say. But there were one or two, who, if their child didn't sit still and pay attention, they got quite cross with them, and that's not really where I felt we were coming from. I felt that it was my job to make it as fun and interesting and unmissable and captivating as possible -- that the children would just be desperate to come and take part, rather than telling them they had to sit down and be quiet'. Christina saw the marriage of songs with actions as a key influence in engaging the children themselves: 'Certainly I find with some little boys, it helps them participate at all. If they don't think singing is their thing, or they're not used to it at home, if it doesn't happen a lot, if they didn't have the actions then they wouldn't sit and listen to the song. A lot of the actions are based on bouncing children up and down, or from side to side, and it's associated with the rhythm of the song, and it kind of highlights the rhythm as you go along, so it helps them feel that rhythm. Even though they can't sing along, they can bounce along so they're participating even before they're really old enough to actively participate. It's meant to be about entertaining children and giving them a taste of something... it is cultural, it is appropriate culture for small children'

Within these projects, Christina not only recognises the benefits to the children, but also the benefits to the tradition about which she is so passionate. Lullabies and children's songs offers a rare opportunity to introduce traditional repertoire into a most natural setting, without the need to contrive, and avoiding the museum mentality that might afflict other aspects of tradition. 'It's quite interesting that people have a feeling for tradition and they really enjoy it... but it doesn't necessarily come into their lives on a daily basis. I like to think of good strong musical tradition as being something that just is there, not something you have to go to a concert to here, or a Fèis to learn. That's one of the really nice things about working with lullabies and then with toddlers -- that is exactly what these songs are for. You know, if you sing a rowing song these days, you're unlikely to be rowing when you're doing it, and if you're doing a waulking song with tweed, it's usually a set up. But if you're singing a lullaby to a baby, that's exactly where that song has come from and that's its natural place. That's a really good thing to have in the tradition -- songs being used in their natural context'. I asked Christina whether her own upbringing and her own experience of the tradition as a child had any bearing on her approach to this project: 'There were just songs around. Thinking about the whole aspect of traditional songs being a part of the general culture -- I didn't think of it as being a specialist topic. I can remember going away on camp once and we all had to do a turn, so I just stood up and sang a Gaelic song and then somebody else stood up and did Video Killed The Radio Star, and others would tell a joke or something. It was just something you did, amongst lots of other things that you did, and you didn't really think of it as being something precious to be preserved or anything like that, it was just something that was always around. That to me is the way it should be -- if it's part of your culture, I think it should just be around and taken for granted in some ways.'

Naturally, the project incorporated some traditional Gaelic songs and Christina highlighted the importance of song as a means to support a child's language development, particularly when that child is part of a bilingual environment, a facet that found much support, particularly in the Gaelic toddler groups. 'I think they are very aware of how songs can be used to support getting to grips with language, and to reinforce already-learned language. That repetition, just singing wee songs over and over again... even just a phrase. They'll go around repeating a phrase to themselves over and over -- it's kind of like practising the sounds, sometimes even just individual sounds. From the point of view of Gaelic language toddler groups, they're trying to encourage the children to use their Gaelic more and a lot of the time the children that go aren't coming from Gaelic speaking homes. They're very aware of trying to encourage the children to get their tongues around it, and hear the songs over and over again. They're looking for anything that can help them along the way and the songs are very useful for that, just the way they're structured.'

With regards to the upholding of the tradition, Christina feels that working with children provides the most natural environment for oral transmission, in the absence of any preconceptions or the need to make sense or understand what it is they're learning. 'When I'm doing workshops with young children, and increasingly now older children, I don't really bother with written words at all, because it's grown ups who like written words. Children can't be bothered with them and don't need them, they actually just listen -- it goes in and they remember it. Then they move on and adapt it and do their own thing with it, and it's really a vibrant form of oral transmission -- that's really where the authentic stuff's happening, I see it happening on a daily basis. What I do is, I steal from child lore and give it back to the children again, and it works for me and they seem to like it -- they then take it away and do their own thing with it. I was thinking about child lore, which is not really what I do actually, but for a lot of people, certainly I felt this when recording songs for an audience of children, it's almost not serious folk music -- you're just doing children's songs. But actually child lore is one of the most authentic or genuine forms of oral transmission that we still have. If you tell a joke to some children in a playground in one school, it's amazing how fast it can spread through the whole country, and that's just oral transmission working really, really fast.'

I asked Christina what happened after she had finished working with the toddler groups. Were there others who were happy to take up the mantle and continue to embed the singing of traditional song within the toddler groups? 'This is why we wanted to make a CD, because the CD originally was as a resource for the group, so each group that took part got one. There didn't have to be somebody who felt they had to be able to sing, they could put the CD on and all just sing along, or even not sing but just do the actions. Quite a few groups have done that, they often have it on when they're doing an activity like play dough or planting up seeds or painting or something -- they'll have the CD playing in the background and the children will spontaneously just start singing. We had one or two groups where they waited for the toddler group facilitator to come back before they sang any of the songs as a group, and other groups, where maybe a confident member of the group has taken on that role and said "right, I'm going to lead singing," even if it's only for ten minutes instead of forty minutes. Some of the groups, particularly where they have a member of staff supporting the group, very often they've taken that on, to encourage the parents, because they saw how the children got on with it. It's lovely when children were coming along saying "I want to sing this or I want to sing that," even the ones who couldn't speak would do an action to request a song -- and that's great that they're that enthusiastic.'

The Kist O' Dreams web site has details of all the songs that Christina recorded as part of this project on the two albums, Kist O' Dreams and Bairn's Kist, alongside further details of the various projects in which Christina was involved.

Photos by Lieve Boussauw

You can visit Christina's MySpace page here!

ALBUM REVIEW : Doghouse Roses - 'How've You Been (All This Time)?'

2008-08-26T22:05:00.001+01:00

Doghouse Roses seem to have borrowed from all the bits of music that I love the most, and mould them together in one beautiful album. This album truly gets better and better with each listen.

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

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ALBUM REVIEW : Margaret Stewart - 'Togaidh Mì Mo Sheolta'

2008-08-17T17:47:00.001+01:00

Albums of Gaelic song probably don't come much better than this. Margaret Stewart brings her natural authenticity to a body of material that she inhabits as effortlessly as one might expect from somebody so steeped in the Gaelic culture.

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

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ALBUM REVIEW : Donnie Munro - 'An Turas'

2008-08-10T22:54:00.002+01:00

I've been really struggling with reviews this last few weeks. I was beginning to worry that I'd never find the words to write another review! This live album from Donnie Munro really blew the cobwebs away.

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ALBUM REVIEW : Dick Miles, Cathy Cook & Niall Boyle - 'Concertinas and......'

2008-07-30T22:40:00.001+01:00

Twenty-eight tracks of concertina music anybody??

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EP Review : Eamon Friel (with Mary Dillon) - 'In For The Day'

2008-07-24T23:04:00.001+01:00

I fell in love with every song on this EP... they're just beautiful songs, beautifully sung.

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ALBUM REVIEW : Corrina Hewat - 'Harp I Do'

2008-07-20T09:59:00.001+01:00

(photo by Lieve Boussauw)

This is a very intense, brooding album, an absolute joy to listen to. It provides a remarkably personal statement from a gifted woman who is truly at one with her instrument.

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ALBUM REVIEW : Steve Earle - 'Live From Austin, Texas'

2008-07-15T19:59:00.002+01:00

Steve Earle is a legend... one of my all time song-writing heroes! This album is a great glance back to what Steve was up to at the start of the millenium!

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ALBUM REVIEW : Karan Casey - 'Ships In The Forest'

2008-07-09T22:49:00.001+01:00

Karan will surely cement her position as one of traditional music's finest singers with this stunning new album!

Click here to read my review on Folking.com!

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