Categories
Acoustic Album/EP Reviews

EP Megapost #1- Nottingham, Signals, Velvet&Stone, Lazibyrd, Thompson, Honey&TheBear 2017

Hi all, I have had a large number of EPs sent in my direction and have not yet had the pleasure to talk about what I have really enjoyed this fine year, so here we are. As usual with my EP reviews, time and space takes a backseat to my appreciation of what comes through; so it’s all wibbly-wobbly, but no worry!

Whether it came out last week or last year your music is equally due to be gently served (but not viciously skewered) into tasty shish-kebabs, so without additional theatre and setup let me instead dive headfirst into these little musical snapshots that have played through my speakers as of late.

Robert Nottingham – An Unwanted Man EP

     www.robertnottingham.com

Robert Nottingham is a folk/alternative musician from Manchester. Since his 22 years there he has moved southward and now lives in London, travelling south and from the sounds of it bringing a lot of influences with him. An inventive man his website talks of his use of a self-made instrument setup “The Nottingham Jangler”, a variation on the Suitcase Drum which he uses (with tambourines too) on his guitar case to cover more instrumental bases in his performance. He has one LP under his belt “14&28” (2016) and now returns one year later with a five track EP called “An Unwanted Man”, does it fare as well as his transition to the Capital?

The tracks are characterised by a strong guitar throughout and a nice range of song styles that fall into Nottingham’s musical shopping trolley. It feels very “first-person” and wholeheartedly embraces the people of which the tunes are describing. “Run Like the Wind” seems like the fun-loving evening party-goer, “You Don’t have to Worry” is the irreverent but downtrodden man, and “An Unwanted Man” is an enigmatic sort of person. Each a shade of character; each surrounded by an urban Manchester haze that pounds through the pores of this work in the best possible way.

“Run Like The Wind” is a jovial number. It swings, it rolls down the stairs and sounds like a continental race in minis. The guitar and drums in the tune chase like the heat in a sweltering Scoville-filled curry; there are flashes of other strings too. It is a wonderful, lovable clash of fun. Think of an Ocean Colour Scene song but ramped up, elevated to it’s maximum pace and played over the film In Bruges. Tightly woven but also chaotic the song points at some interesting thought processes behind the writing of this work,giving it meaning and making it a worthwhile listen. The whole disc is well produced on the whole and the sound mixing is really good too. “An Unwanted Man”, the title track, has some great bass and a slightly Britpop soundscape that in it’s melody evokes scenes of wonder and reflection while also being intangible and airy like the 70s. It is hard to pinpoint the track on the disc that highlights the high level of production, but this one comes close.

 “Mother” comes with even more psych-reverb on the voice. The guitar is crisp, Nottingham’s voice is expressive like a dark conscience. At first it sounds slightly shamanistic and how you might imagine the call of the Druid through history, but as you listen it creeps into the mind like a perfumed smoke. Sprayed with melancholy and disharmony, a growing sinister shade appears and you wonder if Nottingham is singing about a person in difficult times on the beginning to being a drug addict, “I will be your mother/keep you safe and warm /you feel no pain and suffering and you will be reborn.” Perhaps it is just me seeing the more shadowy undertones, but nevertheless it paints an interesting atmosphere which Nottingham’s EP has in bundles throughout.

Admittedly a surprise to me. Robert Nottingham has a few tricks up his sleeve, and with this offering it seems like he has a few yet to deliver.

Hickory Signals – Noise in the Waters – EP

http://hickorysignals.com

Hickory Signals is an immensely balanced outfit. In it’s ranks are Laura Ward (vocals, flute, shruti box), Adam Ronchetti (guitar, percussion), Tom Pryor (violin and strings), Scott Smith (banjo, lap steel guitar), and Debs Stacey (backing vocals).  Laura Ward has a delving, free and energetic voice which grasps the words and truly takes possession of them; the instruments dance bringing a natural shine to an interesting indie folk ensemble that feels like it wears the quality of tradition on it’s sleeves.

A stupendous opener, their version of James Joyce’s poem  “All Day I Hear The Noise of Waters” belongs as the opening track on a full album, not just an EP. They have taken the magical solemness of the poem and added to it creating a colourful ravine of green and tambourine energy. The steady beat and euphonic flute are at interplay with the mild background drone that sounds like it represents the black heart of mystery in the depths of the poem. Hickory Signals allow this to remain and thus rise from their rendition.  It’s pacing is Irish, it’s tone rather fetching and it has a strong, resonating voice that doesn’t let off. It refuses to be chained and is Joycean in beauty through and through, great in every sense of the word.

“Here I am” is a banjo-laden second track. It is fantastic and the backing flute brings an immense dancing joy sounding much like the tune of Miss McLeod’s Reel (a reel close to my heart at the moment). Springy and with a lightness of touch, it also contains some great lyrics, “with my mind’s eye roving, in my next life I’ll be bold and free” that will stir the darkest of souls. There is so much variety in the EP and each song feels in it’s place and yet distinct from each other. Track 6, “Irish Ways” once again changed tack, as  it plays like a war-cry with an exceptionally low shout of anguish for the working man. It describes farmers being shot, blood being spilled, and strongly references the Easter Rising of Ireland’s history as it progresses it’s black story. The strings are cutting like barbed wire, the vocals full of regret and the anger of historical memory are enshrined by this affecting and modern written number, a surprise because you could swear it’s an old song. The EP covers a lot of ground as it runs and never seems to slow.

The starkness continues in their version of “Unquiet Grave.” Ward’s voice is at the forefront as it folds outwards;  traditional it brings a kind of operatic violin to the mix that washes  waves of sadness over you. On listen, it feels like the song is coming from the front of your mind from a close spectral conversation as the vocals come dead centre and buzz in a particularly effective manner. Overall a nice addition and one that sits well amongst traditional renditions, individuals may have varying opinions on how elaborately an artist is allowed to dress up their version of a song but I feel they get this quite right here without over-stepping the mark.

One of the more “folky” of the EPs I have examined this time, undoubtedly one of my favourites too, check out their website and do not miss them.

https://youtu.be/bY8Z5e-7DrU

Velvet & Stone – The Storm EP

www.velvetstonemusic.com

Released last year, Velvet & Stone’s EP of “The Storm” carries some interesting influences on it’s nautical bomber jacket. Having played at Cambridge and Sidmouth Folk Festivals, and more recently Celtic Connections and Balcony TV (I love Balcony TV), their listeners and popularity are growing. The leading ladies, Lara Snowden (vocals, guitar) and Kathryn Tremlett (violin, piano, vocals) are being supported by new additions Barry Muir (double bass), and Roger Styles (guitar, percussion) which bring a rather heady mix of moods and feelings to their first of two EPs coming this year, this one being “The Storm”.

Like  the shifting, amber hues of a fire shared on a cold night, the music triggers a tangible sense of warmth and familiarity from the first track right through to the last (number 6). It is interesting to note though that it is not the familiar heat of complacency or your “go to” hot drink that produces this, it is rather the fire of passion, an alloy of genre heated to make a stronger substance. Take “Fisherman’s Blues”  (the first track), it could simply be a love ballad about a sailor and boat coming in and indeed lyrically it sounds that way, “I would walk down by the shore, it was there I met my fishing boy / he was bonny, brave and pure.” There are some affecting and complementary vocal harmonies, but it’s choice of a slightly subdued violin, omnipresent percussion, and some cascading bass that shakes down the spine and makes it stand out. The minnow of a folk song looks more like a pink, heavy tuna on the plate when prepared by Velvet & Stone.

There aren’t any missteps here. The EP is like a fishing net which has caught the whole sea in terms of genre, but performs each influence to it’s character with some lovable skill. “Patchwork” is an indie folk track describing the kinship of two people and their lives together which stands out through it’s strong violin, gentle piano, and an optimistic, voice; “Same Old Record” is a 20’s nightclub number with jazz overtones, a wry look at the theme of a repeating life, being stuck in a rut. The strings darkly mock the subject as well cutting down like a film noire rainstorm.  Track 6 “The Storm” sounds like a gusting breeze sweeping Eastern Promise through your speakers. A song seemingly describing inspiration and turbulence you could close your eyes and see a path littered with long flowing red robes in a cherry blossom grove. The Asian instrumentation and hooks are very stirring, imagine the quiet movement of water over stone walls from antiquity and you are someway there.

It can frustrate when a disc tries too much and fails, “The Storm” does anything but. It enjoys itself and relishes it’s wicked arrangement, and most of all, it succeeds . My writing is but a small sample of the quality here.,”The Storm” is a collection of emotions, feelings, and places that reach and touch the soul at numerous points. I don’t want to say any more in case I ruin the experience,  I would like to leave a space for the listener to get their hands on the disc and experience the rest firsthand.

Sharon Lazibyrd – “Opium of the Masses”, “What Time is Later?”, and “Not Blue”

https://sharonlazibyrd.bandcamp.com/

Sharon Lazibyrd  is an artist from Somerset  playing contemporary folk. Currently putting together the tracks for her well named album, “Half Shame and Half Glory” she has released some previews on Bandcamp.

The thing that strikes the most about these songs is that it is a continuum. Illustrating a mind in the midst of collecting and executing some good ideas and inspiration on her path to music making, Lazibyrd has put some effort into realising her dream. There is a lot to like about these trio of song releases (that can be heard on Bandcamp here), “Not Blue” has some impressive backing credentials with Damon and Kate Bridge (Owl in the Sun) and Lukas Drinkwater on instruments; it is these components and an interesting and slightly unusual setup that brings the big kick to the lyrics. The atmosphere and sense of loneliness are created here quite well; the arrangement does show the thought that has been put in. It certainly helps set the scene, though to my tastes Lazibyrd’s voice is not at it’s strongest here. detracting from the overall track. It feels that a little more variety in the register might go some way to alleviating this.

“What time is later?” once again comes together as a good sum of it parts. The piano, Lazyibyrd’s own ukulele, and other strings do a good job of painting an inner mindscape and giving the song a slightly more epic, universal sound like a great ship descending into fog. “Opium of the Masses” highlights Lazibyrd’s voice at it’s best form from these three songs. Quite possibly the best marriage of words, instrument, and voice brings it further towards a song with legs of it’s own. There is a slight tonal shift for the chorus which rather gently conjures images of Karl Marx (the accordion does harken to a sound from lands to the East) as an originator for the phrase and song title too. Part of me longs for the song to go more into this mythology and make it a more political piece, it’s lyrics are quite interesting though , “No-one to talk to just the phone, we’re all sucked in we’re in its’ ‘thrall”, the choice of words once again pointing to good foresight of song structure.

The three track list is a gentle clash of accordion, drum and piano that goes some way towards drawing the listener in. Undoubtedly there is an ear for arrangement and composition as Lazibyrd’s strengths, with more time and reflection I think she will begin to press the silver through the custard skin and into the rich, underbelly of contemporary folk.

 

Matthew Thomas Thompson – “Bird” and “Carbon Star”

https://soundcloud.com/mattthomasthompson

Being part of “BBC Introducing  2017” and reaching the semi finals of the “UK Songwriting Contest of 2016”, Matthew Thomas Thompson has released a few tracks (with some more from his upcoming album, “Songs for Little Boy Wonder” here. From Cambridge (one of my old haunts) Matt hails and approaches the music scene with the presence and allure not unlike a carnival hustler, a folkster with a glint of knowing and observation. This comes in his performance and song writing and brings enough force of character to knock apart my prejudice of sing-songwriters who have nothing interesting to say. As part of this post I wanted to take a quick look at two of his tracks available online on Soundcloud, “Bird” and “Carbon Star”.

Entering with “Bird” there is some pretty free-wheeling, serpentine, and darkly emotional lyrics. Thompson’s voice and subject reaches the onyx depths of the track like a bucket lowered into the cold rinse of a stone well. Simple in structure, Thompson’s sound is a grey worldly mosaic being fit together underneath a thorny bush; pretty and flowing but also prickly. Finding some surprisingly good rhymes such as “ruthless beast” and “geese” (never thought I’d hear that) it is not just entertaining, but also a morally ambiguous work as Thompson sings of the jealous emotion, “strangled like a frightened little bird” in one sentence, and appealing for it to be taken care of in a following lyric. Quick but thoughtful the song is swimming in jealousy, and structurally destructive emotions. It is not an excessively gruesome work though his guitar is like the steel wire of an emotional cage for the subject involved. It is quite an ensnaring track.

“Carbon Star” is something else altogether. An acoustic, urban songwriting rap that describes parts of the life of James Brown “at the height of his fame”, it is a brave and bold subject matter. With some interesting steps, lightly touching guitar and a hint of theatrical villain in it’s pacing, it prowls quite gleefully for all to see much like the man did himself. Quite dizzying in talk, the guitar and drum sing the story of a celebrity circus, of fame and a man moving on the crest of a wave of paranoia. As he announces, “Trust no brother, but me.” you feel and think, and Thompson has opening a door into a place and a character quite successfully.

These two songs alone show a great versatility and that Thompson has some interesting gremlins that are speaking original ideas and songs to him. He is sounding great, these tunes showcase a great promise for his upcoming album.

Honey & the Bear – About Time Too EP

www.honeyandthebear.co.uk

 

Having been together as a group for two years, “Honey and the Bear” are folk and roots duo Lucy Sampson (guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo & percussion) and Jon Hart (guitar, bass, mandolin) who have toured around Europe combining some of their previous own works, and interests to produce a rather gentle, timber-fresh sound. Hailing from a number of places at different times such as  Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk they have also performed away from the continent and closer to home as part of Ely Folk and Maverick Festival too.

There is some compelling guitar work here in it’s indie folk influence, though for myself the harmonies make all the difference. They are pretty much the cherry in the black forest gateaux of this work. Vivid and emotive, “Wrong Side of Me” is a showcase of the interesting dynamic between the two artists. Hart and Sampson almost go head-to-head to see who has the sweetest voice (I honestly would not know where to lay my money in a bet). Rather than offering vocals that compete with pitch or intonation there is a complimentary almost symbiotic nature to their voices as if they are bringing different views from the same person rather than from a couple in debate,”caught in between, reality and dreams.” Similarly “Pick it Up” boasts some sunny interplay between the two, describing the meeting and joy between two people and it’s transformative power as Hart remarks,”not so long ago I was washed up.” It feels like a man and wife’s thoughts, the joy and comfort of reliance and support, a recollection and awareness of how much better one’s life has become.

If other tracks are honey, “Jack” sounds a bit like the sugary molasses, and Honey & the Bear  make some serious rum with this. The song starts almost with an edge of reggae and Western influence, but it truly has the heart of folk music. The guitar covers a nice range of sounds being the predominant sound that is displayed on the song’s sky, and it all keeps a good tempo and your attention while it does. About two minutes in it takes a more traditional turn as the pace changes down a notch and it feels like the relief and warmth of a well-earned rest amongst pine trees, squirrels lightly rapping chesnuts on bark in the background.

A warming, strong vocal duo who I bet bring the love on a live gig, check them out!

 

 

 

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music Singer-Songwriter

Kate Dimbleby- Songbirds

Dimbleby successfully reflects a range of feelings and emotions in a decent and also unconventional album that has captured her mind’s eye.

Introduction

Armed without folk instruments as such but with the creative sense of the oldest instrument there is, the voice, Kate Dimbleby explores a musical sound that is more akin to a hawk flying through a tailwind than an acapella dawn chorus that the title Songbirds” first seems to presents to us. The reason is that the dawn chorus is somewhat familiar to people, it is a light awakening and a commonplace universal sound, and Kate Dimbleby’s album in contrast  is quite gutsy and makes choices that you might not really come to expect when you put the CD in. This is no bad thing though and this flying hunter’s confidence to individuate is at cirrostratus heights as she flies onward, but she is not alone.

Taking some inspiration and support from Bobby McFerrin from New York, she has chosen a hybrid of voice, technology and loop to pretty much “sing with herself”. It is mixed incredibly well giving the album an air of informality and improvisation with it’s special parliament of voices expressing what she says herself is, “the first [album] which I can regard as entirely me.” Much of the inspiration for the tracks comes from a sense of being “frightened” and taken out of her comfort zone in London and on to Vancouver Island. Swapping urban sprawl and nouse for the wilderness and quietm we hear the theme of uncertainty and fear permeating a few parts of the album. It is fully expressed and realised in the final track, “Song For a Hill”, but along the way it makes a few proud steps in other directions too, not all doom and gloom.

 

Not just showy confidence, she is also keeping another kind of confidence about the content. Indeed the smile on her face on the artwork cover doesn’t really give anything away, you might in fact be inclined to think she will sing about lost love in the hills or some folk ballad about an ancient trades, but in a thoughtful twist she becomes more like Edward Scissorhands, cutting hedges into giant hands and such-like whilst subverting sing-songwriter suburbia. The album holds together well despite the uncertainty and inconsistency this could bring to proceedings through experimentation and a part of this will be the sensitivity in which the work has been handled. This desire for breaking from what is expected of her does fit the profile of Folkstock Records who celebrate a rich array of women’s voices. As an independent record company who can appreciate and encourage the strength of female creativity, it certainly feels like the artist has been able to make a good match and maintain a lot of creative control over the content. This is all good, but what about the songs?

Songs

“Happy” (number 3) is a great track, whichever way you cut it. Somewhat psychedelic, somewhat funk and gospel, it is a fun, unbridled expression of energy and laughter. Like a cat dancing around when food is put in his bowl, it’s an unapologetic and relatively short experimentation into the simpler side of joy. As the warm feeling itself there is a bit of a (good) rawness here, and serves as one of the better “spontaneous” songs on the album. “Musical boxes”, Dimbleby’s song about individualism and non-judgement, is probably the most fully realised and polished on the disc. Released as a single at the beginning of February it impresses with it’s backing track of slightly muted claps and a few orbiting layers of voice all coming together in a reflective, positive wave. If it were a character, it sounds like a very wise person indeed (or perhaps some kind of thoughtful tree). It feels accomplished, complete and is a good example track for the artist.

“Whatever” (track 7) is another foray into the light. It’s “mmbops” make you think of a barbershop quartet but it is different in that it takes it’s time; sometimes it keeps pace, sometimes it slows to relish what can only be described as the elation emanating between words. Her voice(s) are sunshine like a hot day on the sidewalk in New York city or the feeling of the breeze as it rustles vertically through the spring trees. All-in-all another highlight on the album that grabs the attention. “Love can be easy” is like a lullaby on the coast. You feel a gentle contentment and enjoyment of life, Dimbleby is riding a spark of inspiration as she sits in the middle of the scene with events moving around like a slow carousel. Constructed in a carefree moment, it is the holiday feeling with your responsibilities being distant and out of sight and your family being close. Dimbleby’s voice is gentle and assuring on this song and it works.

“These Things, they will come” is probably the mirror image of “Whatever.” The sun-drenched hues of that song are drained away here as Dimbleby instead wanders a track of introspective blues, perhaps with the exhaustion you feel when the sun burns too much. This makes sense as Dimbleby points it out as a song about pain, loss of identity and joy; inside it is limbo, a disconnection you might get in a deep depression that calls for a soul searching you cannot muster the energy for. The doctor, her sister are telling her the same thing about time being the healer, but the words do not seem to penetrate; the song continues, it’s lamenting chorus of voices click their fingers and the singer sees no end in sight. It sounds very personal, and resonates more than mere feelings that hint at seismic life and perspective changes. As a tune it reminds of the heights of worry being as a brick wall. Whilst simple in appearance, the mortared stones can encase the liveliest of spirits and sap the sense of life from a situation. “Song for a Hill” is like this too, but rather more of an abstract, environmental assault on the senses. A bit trip-hop, it sounds like Portishead having a quiet moment and retreating from the city only to end up in a chilling woodland glen. Dimbelby’s voice in this track is like a vine wrapping around a twisted willow or a crocodile pulling it’s prey into the marsh, it is in the background and springs out when you focus on it. Bellowing water and dripping fire it is quite the fascinating number and towards the end the track it makes you think of a person whose taken a slip in the Peak District, with it’s deathly ebb and other-worldliness as someone’s life hangs in the balance. The darkest of the material here, it’s restrained arrangement  is very good you might picture it at a pivotal or sad part of a northern drama on television.

You can tell that she has run free here, she does not have the musician’s unquenched thirst for epic instrumental solos (as there are hardly any instruments), and she seems to be finishing the songs earlier than you might think, opting for economy of message. It is probably a wise, instinctive choice though and has the bonus of showing she has expressed her creativity without becoming self-indulgent. Such as with an album of these idiosyncrasies, it would be nigh impossible to personally connect with each song that you listen to and there were a couple of tracks that did not spark my senses. “Harder than you think” is actually pretty good for a spontaneous walking song, but as an experiment seems more of a miss than a hit for me. “At our best” likewise captures the spirit of a marching song and rolls with some inspiration, but feels much longer than the one minute duration, horses for courses and all that.

As mentioned previously, there is some nice production and a lot of distance is made from Dimbleby’s voice that give it some distinct and interesting sonic layering throughout the album. Fairly unconventional in presentation it is like the film “Inside Out” with it’s collection of imprints, emotions and thoughts that are snatched from the air and made manifest. There is something individual about each track and even if listeners are not fans of the acappella form, they should exercise patience and listen closely as there are few preconceptions that can fully prepare for the contents within. There are a few gems of personal experience that are passed in our direction here and Dimbleby has a charm and honesty that radiates throughout the work.

Kate is appearing at a few places, the album launched on 2nd March, check here for further details, and go to Folkstock Records site to order a CD here for £10

Check out Folkstock’s website for some of the other artists they support, here.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music

Daria Kulesh “Long Lost Home” – An Album Review

An album of resistance to oppression in armed and peaceful forms. Articulate and personal, it is peppered with tragedy but is in essence celebratory of family and the personalities whose stories are within.

 

Sound Recording: Jason Emberton, Jonny Dyer

Additional Recording: Timur Dzeytov

Produced: Jason Emberton, Jonny Dyer, Daria Kulesh

 

Introduction

Daria Kulesh returns following her debut album “Eternal Child”, an album that was bathed with a kind of autobiographical style and promise. A sleek black and pink affair (still love the photography and artwork) it touched on her eastern roots and ventured on a few flights of magical realism and fancy.  “Veil folk” might be an appropriate term for the type of music with it’s strongly emotive numbers coupled with some supernatural and historical elements.

On listen it felt as if the veil of reality “has been shaken” somewhat, hence my attempt at genre. Listeners might have also encountered Daria through, of course through the band KARA (where she sings vocals and themes influenced by both Russian and English elements), she does seem to have kept herself busy. In KARA she released the excellent, briny foray into the sea with their last album, “Some Other Shore” see my review here, but this time however she is going solo. I say solo, but she is joined by a prominent roster of artists (too many to mention all) including Jonny Dyer (guitar, piano, bouzouki, accordion, bass), Terry Crouch (classical guitar), Kate Rouse (hammered dulcimer, vocals) and Vicki Swan (myckelharpas, Scottish smallpipes, flute) who along with others bring enough instruments to satisfy even the mildly curious listener. With several tools and sounds that I have heard before (and some that I have not), the artist has pulled together a large army of melody to convey her personal message. Kudos should be given for the breadth of sounds considered and the inclusion of instruments from Ingushetia, the focus place of this album (a Dakchan pandar, anyone?) “Long Lost Home” is not just a trek into a faraway land but also a ramble into the living memory of tradition and customs.

History

So the culture and history in question is centred around Ingushetia, a republic in Russia’s south. In the background of the album there are some major historical and political events that shape the stories within, including the deportation of the Ingush and Chechens by Stalin in 1944, and also war crimes of the time.”Long Lost Home” is capturing the past and also is a personal theme as Ingushetia was the homeland of Daria’s Grandmother, Fatima Akhireva. She experienced the tides of history, issues of exile from their home and a lot of hardship in her life; it might be considered enough to stop here but Kulesh goes further back to collect stories that her Grandmother had from generations before, quite a fear. Kulesh wants to explain and remember what has happened, but equally importantly it is her chance to show a few glimpses of the powerful, stalwart personalities in her family and how they have weathered difficult times.

For a subject it is pretty intense stuff but also fascinating from the perspective of someone not knowing the smallest bit about this part of the world and it’s histories. It is natural to think that the times we live in are the worse they ever have been (if you are a pessimist of course), but albums like this are quite useful in reminding us of harder circumstances and oppression. From the album artwork we can see the artist has fully immersed herself into the sounds and sights of this ancient homeland. Kulesh travelled to Ingushetia to gather the stories and in the sleeve we see her in the traditional dress of fine deep blue. There are also photographs of family and characters that help us put faces to deeds quite effectively, it is quite beautiful in this regard.  So how is this communicated by the songs within?

Songs

In the opening track “Tamara” there is a deep sense of the album arising; the song fills the senses with the sounds of the shruti box like a serpent waiting to strike. Like the wind scaling the jagged rocks and heights, it is the track which most resembles her previous work of taking myths and legends and giving them a classical treatment.  In the song her Grandmother’s ancestral village and the ruined tower stand at the centre of a storm torn vista of shivering antiquity and wonder; the percussion rattles and jingles giving it an otherworldly air and Kulesh’s voice furrows a winding and enticing path. The tribal drums sounding drums here give “Long Lost Home” an almost spectral opening to an album, looking back the furthest of the songs and setting the scene for the human stories within.

“The Moon and The Pilot” is either the most well-known of Daria’s songs to anyone reading this or it will soon to be to new listeners. Previewed in various formats between this and her last album release it has had some coverage (and with good reason). Telling the story of her Great Grandmother Diba Posheva (the Moon) and her husband of the sky (Rashid Akhriev, a pilot who is killed delivering supplies in 1942 to Leningrad) it teaches that heroic deeds are not always recognised, and even when they are as here, circumstance and the world can step in and at the drop of a hat lead to a catastrophic change. Akhriev was due to named a hero, but Stalin then declared the Ingushetia people as “enemies of the people” (despite fighting against Hitler). A lyrically simple song but the piano is quite captivating and Kulesh’s voice reaches for the very vestibules of the soul, “Shine my moon, your face made of light. Let down the your hair, black as the night”. It dances like the queen of night under a halo of glittering crystal and stardust. An excellent track indeed.

Track five, “The Hazel Tree” is a great song that harkens back to the artist’s Grandmother’s Grandmother. It is strength of the album that as it trails back along the earlier paths of Daria’s family tree it makes you think of your own history, the stories within and the strength among one’s own kin. It seems like it must have been a series of big discoveries for Kulesh when curating these narratives. An upbeat song, the guitar work on this album is energetic with the “Hazel Tree” of the title seeming so close and full of radiating life despite the words pointing towards the tree being a final burying place for the subject, “You lived again, and blossomed and bore sweet fruit.” It sure is a spirit affirming number, its sense of wisdom, humility and resilience in the person described shines in plain sight through this song, making it an essential listen on the album.

Not only is there resilience, but also resistance. “The Panther” (Track 7) about Laisat Baisarova, a sniper and officer who went vigilante in protest against orders to deport and kill her own people. There are some good lyrics here, Kulesh reveres The Panther’s power and rebellion in the face of injustice, “An Amazon doesn’t serve. In an army of slaves,” and her voice lingers and dances around the classical strings quite elegantly. The defiance of this interesting woman burns within the song like a fire nestled against cold, snow-buried stones. Characterful, Daria’s voice has a slight snarl to start and then becomes light and compassionate as the song (uncharacteristic for folk) develops into a positive ending with her never being captured and possibly becoming of less renown because of it. An inspirational character and a pointer to strength of noble conviction.

Other songs that point to Kulesh’s pride in the people and the place include, “Safely Wed” is certainly a balmy, rich, heady song in celebration of an “Auntie Nina” and a Matriarch exercising some prudent wisdom with family affairs and “Like a God”, an urban, gladiatorial wonder of a song with the main character Alaudin (a doctor) fighting against Stalin and a cut-throat world of bandits with the steel of his scalpel, “leading them a merry dance, on a floor of snow and blood.” There is steel in these notes, there is iron in these words but as shown, it is not always shaped into a gun.

Folk fans who like a more classical voice, a respect and inclusion of cultural instruments, and a sense of family will instantly love this album. It is a personal concept album in the most part, Kulesh does actually move away from the core concept for a track or two (“Untangle my Bones” and “Gone” being the main examples”) but they are needed, they show an artist who is trying to convey what the sum of her research and experiences have triggered in herself. In sound arrangement it is musing, capturing the minds eye as it races to the East in search of mystery and a strong, personal album that moves slightly away from Kulesh’s magical realist music and more into biography and history. Kulesh’s voice soars as always in the beguiling way that it does and the result we get is an album which is simple speaking an artefact. It gives voice to people who have faced what life has thrown at them and continued to fight back either through their deeds or their respect and love of family.

Give it a go, the album is launched 23 February at Cecil Sharpe House (see here), and the album will be available shortly after, keep an eye on Daria’s website here.

Daria is also on tour, go here for her upcoming tour dates, see if she is touring near you!

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Americana Debut Indie Folk

Almond&Olive – Standing at the Precipice (Album Review)

 

 

Almond&Olive deliver an earnest and lyrically intriguing debut with a strong character and rapport in voice

Having released this debut last Friday (27th January 2017), artists Almond&Olive that consists of Natalie Alms (Almond) and Ollie Davidson (Olive) are no longer standing at the precipice but have taken a good look and lept over to meet whatever fate is on the other side. From the production, lyrics and delivery on this album, it seems like it will be a trampoline that should help them reach even higher than the mountain they started from.

A pairing which is undoubtedly  sweeter than the foodstuff mix (though I think someone will probably try it), they are a curious couple of artists together and individually doing a lot of good for charity (particularly animal charities) and their characters come through in the photography, it certainly does not look like an exercise in ego. This is just as well as the tables have turned the other way and impressively this debut has had pledged $10,000 in just 30 days of Kickstarter, and the duo will be donating some of the proceeds to animal shelter charities (see their website here for more information). Surely there must be something more than appearances and vivid photography that has got people excited to hear from them, making them stand out above other Indie Folk efforts (of which there are many)?

At first glance and listen without attention, it cannot really be the themes within the album.  Not to say there is anything bad in choice but relationships are a well-ridden path in Indie Folk (its probably the equivalent of songs about maidens from history in regular folk of which I’ve heard an awful lot of). But with an album such as this, which takes a lot of these issues and looks at them in earnest (and sometimes considering older love) it makes “Standing at the Precipice” sound like a well-spring as it bursts a layer of burning sand and sienna scorched rocks. It is strongly situated in youth and makes no bones about dedicating the whole album to this broad theme making it an album that speaks to those in the throes of passion, but not exclusively so. Sometimes it’s more excited, sometimes more sombre like a hint of heat delirium, it does what it sets out to do very well; there is something more here. Throughout there is an interesting dynamic of the duo,’s voices, the tracks have a varied instrumentation that fits each song accordingly, and the lyrics themselves sparkle the strongest amongst all these elements. The album has an overall feeling of being upbeat and interesting without being cocky about it, there is certainly some good, humble musicianship here to be enjoyed and admired. What about the tracks?

The first track, “We Will” is a delicate, dustbowl of a track. Melodic and catching it boasts some great instrumentation from the get go with it’s subtle banjo building into a much larger and incredibly appealing soundscape of big drum, brass, guitar and fiddle. An optimistic track that looks to two people spending their lives together, Alms’ voice is sweet with an expressive edge, a bit like buttercream which is soft and slightly grainy in all the best ways. The pacing of the track is kept with a familiar drumming and enhanced by the other musical sections; it has some fairly simple, but clear lyrics,”I will feel your heart, I will know where to start on my search.. to carry you home.” It is contentment in a song really, you can picture two older people toasting their lives and acknowledging a love that does not need to be spoken or the reasoning kind of love which imagines and pictures a practical partnership. A good opener which continues.

The second track, “Standing at the Precipice” wastes no time building momentum from the first track. It is full of primal sounds with a scraping guitar and a shrill harmonica bringing the slight menace of risk from hurt when in love. The imagery is rather shattering imagery as it describes this scene of emotional uncertainty in lavish and welcome detail. There are some nice cryptic lyrics too, “now the sky is getting darker, the books don’t ever explain what were looking to find,” I particularly love the small touches with this track such as the “whoops”, and the emotional yearning from the vocals.

Other songs that deserve a special measure are “Can’t Stop” which has a strong bassline, along with a precise steel guitar that rolls with heat through heat through cactus adorned sandscapes. The lyrics are particularly reaching and poetic on this track, “I won’t break like a diamond in the rough, I can never have enough.. I won’t break for you” and there is a splash of a number of synth/keyboard interjections that breathe even more life into a quick number. A crowd teaser it is one of the more optimistic of the tracks on the album it will doubtlessly be a popular number on live nights.”Nadine” is another standout track. Having a change in pace there a slower drum with an excellent interplay of voices with Ollie (Olive) seemingly taking a larger role, “Nadine.. this song was a dream.. could have fooled me.” It is beautifully solemn as it explores people splitting and going their separate ways. When listening it is quite a heart-tugging number as it effectively drags up your own memories of “almost loves” and partners past to parade for your minds eye. Time does not feel like the healer in the song, but rather like a cruel needle suturing a wound which in the end might recover but hurts so much along the way.

Track 7 “Long Night” is also pretty special track with it being part a welcome song, an invite to someone’s hearth, home, and life. It gives off a kind of musky heat,”welcome me to a bed of no clothes” which Alms’ voice is like a reluctant carnality, it makes the heart race and engulfs you in what is happening. It stands at opposite to “Heartbeat” the final track. “Heartbeart” is instructional, either as someone’s conscience or as one friend to another it says that “nobody owns your heart”. The arrangement is slightly sparser giving the song to breathe a little bit more than some of the busier tracks on the album. The fiddle is essential and it’s coolness is a nice way to end the series of songs and experiences felt along the way.

Well arranged and sounding really polished for a debut album, this disc has more than a shade of Americana thrown into it’s Indie Folk mix though it takes a hard Cadillac left to avoid Stateside cliche. It instead goes for an attack of the lyrical and outshines a lot of the competition with it’s well-crafted words  and an interesting interplay and rapport in voice. Like the snakes of the Hippocratic oath symbol, their voices unfurl and meet together bringing their own styles to play. They resonate with one another in a way that grabs your attention and convinces you of the strength of their work away from the corn sepia photography and modern dress, their depth is there to see beyond a mere polished surface.

Give them a try, a nice debut and an album 150 backers certainly aren’t wrong about!

You can purchase Almond&Olive’s debut here.

 

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Historical Irish

Lorcán Mac Mathúna – Visionaries 1916 (album review)

Folk music that tackles some stirring source material that should not be forgotten. There is a roving central passion that brings both a delightful sense of joy and personal isolation to the works within. The album dwells very much in the topic it is exploring.

The year 2016 will be seen as a year of upheaval and huge changes in the political sphere of these isles with the EU referendum.
Whichever way people of the nation voted and what the impacts (positive and negative) of this choice are, we can say it was that, a choice.

After this event but before the new year the album, “Visionaries 1916” was released (October) which marked the 100 year anniversary of a huge event in history much more turbulent and antagonistic than the current age, and with an exceedingly difficult choices individuals of Ireland were making in the face of English rule. In 1916 there was the “Easter Rising” in Ireland as revolutionaries seized a number of areas in Dublin city in an attempt to establish an independent Irish Republic away from England, as was said, “England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity”. Many lives were lost during this time, innocent individuals got caught in this major event of street fighting, artillery fire and an estimate of 485 people lost their lives (with over a half being civilians). On top of this, independence did not come straight away and it was not immediately a positive outcome; it did however help crystallise an Irish identity that would lead to Independence further down the road. This album by Lorcán Mac Mathúna (voice) includes Íde Nic Mhathúna (voice), Martin Tourish (accordion), Daire Bracken (fiddle, guitar), Eamonn Galdubh (uillean pipes, saxophone, flute, bodhrán), and Elaine O’Dea (spoken word) works through the songs and poems of influential thinkers Plunkett, Pearse, Connolly, Mac Diarmada, Ceannt, Clare and McDonagh, with an emphasis on Plunkett and Connolly. Arts Council Ireland have provided some funding for an interesting album concept indeed.

The album design is remembrance through and through. There are photographs of the revolutionaries with their considering eyes, with hope and a spark of better things to come. In respect to the package design and case, the contents match the subject matter enormously. It is full of poems, lyrics and explanations of the circumstances at the time, poets are included and speak their piece too and there is quite a lot here for someone coming to this time and place in the world through new eyes. This means that it effectively puts a good deal of respect into history and the complexities of characters within it at the expense of a more stylised and streamlined presentation. It could not have been any other way, or should be, it aims for the folk fan with a patience for learning and reading and evaluating and captures all sides. By explaining the “awkwardness” of one revolutionary (Pearse), and the “unlucky in love” Plunkett we see a moral and character complexity that is quintessential for folk music of this kind; it also gives us a good insight into the poetic inspirations of the authors and the songs giving contextual information for this unfamiliar with the revolutionaries. But what of the music itself?

There are some interesting tracks here. The first track, “Daybreak” bursts into your senses and refuses to be contained. A surprising clash of saxophone, fiddle, and accordion it conjures a breaking of thought like harsh water scattering of waterfall rocks. Plunkett’s poem fortifies in the chest, the yearning in the singing voice is expertly matched by the chasing fiddle (Daire Bracken) and instrument of sultry nights, the saxophone (Eamonn Galldubh) that all meld into a powerful and emotive entrance. It conjures images of a deep thinker, a darkly, silent man who reads with full knowledge of conflict to come. Irresistible and charming, the track reflects Plunkett’s sensitive nature, it pierces the still emotional depths of a man wanting both a new freedom and identity as well as more luck in love, “for you have flung a brand, and fixed a spark. Deep in the stone, of your immortal fire.” Track five,”White Dove of the Wild” brings a wider more sweeping and less pacey interpretation of Plunkett. The rhythm in your minds eye takes a backseat as Lorcan Mac Mathuna finds and accentuates an almost cosmic nature to the poem, lingering over the words but allowing a slower, more pronounced soundscape to form from a solemn voice and accordion. “Daybreak” is catharsis through honest work and the outdoors, “White Dove of the Wild” is the firing of neurons as the narrative of a recently read book begins to rearrange in your dreams. Both stirring, both effective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For track four, one of the James Connolly’s poems “We Only want the Earth” is put into song. The composition offers persuasiveness and persistence in a voice that feels very much that it speaks from a group soul which is both jolly and spirited. Both singers (Lorcan Mac Mathuna and Ide Nic Mhathuna) project huge emotion that conveys yet with some added deft flute work here (Eamoon Galldubh). The instrumentation and yearning vocals bring a bright vibrancy to this song of the people, the “mirth” of the poem is emphasised and projected outward despite the serious desire and wish. The energy within the Irish tradition flows through this track freely and is much a character reference for the people and history of this place as any.

The albums inclusion of An Dord Feinne (Óró sé do bheatha abhaile) is essential for a work such as this with it being the song of rebellion. The arrangement and singing gives it a rather militant “in the field” feel particularly compared to other interpretations (i.e. Sinead O’Connor and The Dubliners), it works really well and shines like the heart of a poet under a grimy, sodden exterior; a thinking man becoming a man of action through necessity.  This is not an isolated effect on the album. An aspect of many of the performances here is the feeling that they are putting flesh to these darker quieter moments by adding a realism that permeates through your speakers. In track 9, Fornocht do Chonac (from Pearce) the song could be the laments of men in prison awaiting their executions, mulling their actions over and considering their love for their country. Under a sound cracking fiddle, a sad flute interlude, and incarcerating accordion (Martin Tourish) it reaches some quieter, darker moments that nevertheless glow with a black shine if inevitability. Likewise the final track, “Lament for Thomas McDonagh” is a beautifully sung poem that feels like the still ocean, awash with a piercing moonlight across the water’s surface. There is foreboding as Lorcan describes when, “the Dark Cow leaves the moor”, his voice is a tight rope, a straining oar, and all-in-all a great solo effort.

 

A lively arrangement with a breath of life on to old history, it clearly is infused with reverence. It’s delivery is traditional, heartfelt and rich with some delightful counterpoints of vocal harmonies. It manages to show and transmit the hope of these revolutionaries through soundwaves, through a tight collection of instruments that are all undoubtedly working to this end. It would be wrong to suggest that it is always an easy and jaunty listen, revolution is often bloody. Mac Mathuna has managed here to keep the focus on the glimmers of optimism in the writers, despite the difficulty of this time. Fans of history, politics and poetical should give this album of Irish identity a good listen and it was a very characterful addition to 2016’s folk roster indeed.

Check out the video below see if you would like to give the album a go!

You can order the album here on their website, where there is also details of their remaining tour dates in Wexford, Dundalk, Dublin and Cork.

 

Categories
Acoustic Album/EP Reviews Folk Music

Look Back: Saskia G-M “Gentle Heart” (review)

This is a “Look Back” post, one that brings an older review (from shedancesinthemind.blogspot.com) here to my new website.

Since my writing in early 2016, Saskia Griffiths-Moore has continued to grow with a series of concerts and some well-shot covers of some well-known tracks on her Youtube channel here.

“Gentle Heart” is seriously an album that you might have missed this year, but shouldn’t have. Check out my writing and the video below!

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An unabashed genre-hopping album that balances light with dark in a spiritually precise manner and a strong leading voice.

Some albums are like the snow-topped mountains of Asia, full of ancient mystery which might be a little unusual or less accessible to the everyday tourist but nevertheless has a solid following and interest, especially for those who have walked those paths. They push out finding new cliques of knowledge to bring back and impress; others are closer to home, seeking simpler wonders and the joys of snapping branches in the local woods, building their tents amongst their mates with a focus on the warm feeling rather than a physical and mystifying experience.

At a beginning listen to you Saskia Griffiths-Moore’s debut album “Gentle Heart” you would be fully under the impression that it follows the warmer, straightforward approach to music making, but this is a misreading of the use of the word “gentle” in the album’s title. For the artist’s intentions here we find that the core of what she is trying to convey is both the affable warmth of beginnings but also the trying to understand the simplicity of death; “gentle heart” here fosters both creative and destructive forces in equal measure. Sometimes it seems more light-hearted, but it is quite deep and even in the bouncier numbers there is often a reference to change and the end of a good life. There is a lot that the album does well, especially Saskia’s voice itself in contrast to the arrangements. If we look at the influences of it’s production next, it is no surprise that the album strives for this kind of balanced exploration of feeling that is has and succeeds.

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Saskia Griffiths-Moore is a relative newcomer to the music scene but she has made some splashes along the way. She has been named as Bristol’s “number 1 folk artist” through the new artist-friendly ReverbNation (for four months running) and has been on BBC Radio Gloucestershire promoting her music too. The album is produced by Robert N. Neil, a musician whose experiences in publishing alongside Ashley Kozak (who was involved with Brian Epstein and Donovan) and his own albums of instrumental healing (and previous meeting with famous guru, Swami Satchidananda) does bring to the disc the aforementioned yin and yang, and a sense of harmony to the music. The focus is uncluttered which leads to an album which is self-described as “underproduced”, but doesn’t suffer for it and in many occasions transcends the simplicity of the arrangement and message being given (in particular track 3, “Call on Spring”). The rather spiritual ethos of the producer is not overly channelled by Saskia’s vocal talents, but rather through it’s cleanness, clarity and arrangement of tracks to create a piece of music which fits somewhere between genres. There are elements of the acoustic, folk, country, jazz, pop, and singer-songwriter categories and for a debut album is all the better for it as it casts a thread of tenderness throughout it’s tracks that provide easy-listening for the audience but with lyrical interest to be something more.

The Tracks

1. In Time
2. Are you Listening?
3. Call on Spring
4. Take My Hand
5. Gentle Heart
6. Wash it Away
7. In the Garden
8. Blue Shade
9. The Presence
10. Be Not Afraid to Die

“In Time” (track 1) is an authoritative-accordion number complete with wisdom, a plethora of chord scratching, and a catchy, simple chorus. Saskia’s voice is quite striking in it’s identity, it bears a strong mid-range much like many several artists at least ten years her senior (she’s in her early 20’s), The lyrics are quite nice too, “of all of my friends, some faces I will see again, and some aren’t around anymore.. but that is a natural law”, they make a mark early on. There is a good presence in this track which relies on the theme of an older person coaching younger members of the family about what they have learnt. It is quite primal and feels like it has hardly been distilled from the experiences that have led to it’s conception and has an air of acceptance of what will be. It is wise-sounding, and slightly cheerfully sung though its words are hinting at themes that will appear later in the album (like a kind of trailer for what is to come). It is an accomplished first track on the album, the chorus is simple yet the repetition of the title throughout with Saskia’s different emphases shows a delightfully clear voice no matter what she is doing with it.

Another track to mention is “Call on Spring” (track 3), a song which veers into the very best territories of singer-songwriter lands. It’s slightly baroque, slightly Tori Amos (Boys for Pele era), and slightly pop ballad and stands enormously strong as a great piano lead that is both light and serious. Once again she employs a hook which will probably reel in young and old alike,”call on Spring, call on Spring, sunshine I will bring”. It is penetrating and lethal as a ballad which due to it’s title and feel has more than a slight touch of the Ostara equinox about it with the rising sun burning the frosty dew, and bringing “renewed life”. It is earthy and could be a rework of a song from history if I didn’t know better, Saskia’s voice is inviting, the piano once again strides and is made all the clearer through an uncluttered and clean mix.

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“In the Garden” (track 7) brings a dainty jazz backing to the album as a change of scene. It is a song you would imagine on a veranda in the closing parts of the day when the long drinks are being brought out by butlers with immaculate white gloves. There are some playful woodwind interruptions as well and some higher singing notes that hang like stars in a calming and confident diversion from the other genres on the disc. It is slightly dream-like and manages to capture the senses pretty well, and deserves a listen for it’s crossover value. Not being a jazz fan there was a danger that it would not be to my taste, but once again Saskia’s vocals make it more compelling then it could have imagined to have been.

“Wash it Away” (track 6) brings back the accordion in a more extended introduction and then keeps it as a central part of the album throughout. The guitar chords and technique sound a bit more Country, as is the subject matter which describes someone in later life reflecting on what has been, the movement of time and the role of history, “wash it all away like the river in it’s path, moving slow or rushing fast”. It is an example of the theme of the album which looks at things delicately, and has a mellow appraisal of things that have happened. It is incredibly hard to dislike and quite moving in it’s simple reflective voice and modest use of minor harmonies that are included within.

“The Presence” (track 9) is a moodier song that looks at loss and serves as a slightly less literal look at death before track 10 arrives (Be Not Afraid to Die). It is introspective and starts incorporating the odd bit of phenomenology into it’s being, describing gazing and “unknowables” and things “gazing back” quite akin to the famous Nietzsche quote that you might have heard (in it’s own way), “out the door I peek into what is not yet know, I set on the edge and feel the Presence”. It is slower, more deliberate, achroamatic and harrowing. Saskia adapts quite well to the downbeat nature of the song and the content, though it would be a much lesser album with songs purely around this theme.

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In Conclusion

The album is varied, It feels like there is a whole spectrum of dark and light that spreads throughout the disc that touches on a number of musical styles, each which is visited quite well (the ballad style of track 3 being the apex for me). On the whole, I find her brighter songs marginally better than the more solemn ones (though track 9 is a great philosophical de-construction) but there is not much difference in real terms, the songs are all well constructed and a good showcase of her various talents. For a debut it is quite ambitious, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do and provokes a few thoughts along the way. It’s “gentle” nature is a strength, it touches on the vulnerability of people later in life but also respectfully listens to their advice and continues to intrigue throughout. If there is anything to take away from her music, that is that her voice is incredibly clear and delightful and in many ways ahead of it’s years, she is one to watch for the future, but in the meantime check her album out.

If you want to find out more about Saskia Griffiths-Moore, check out her website here (where you can also get free copies of her EPs).

Saskia’s album launched on 5th February 2016

 

Categories
Acoustic Album/EP Reviews Scots Singer-Songwriter

EP Post #3 Melanie Crew and James Black

As the veil of winter is beginning to fall, I continue to bring news of some Autumn EP releases which I have given some time to listen to.

For my third EP roundup post I will talk about acoustic singer-songwriter, “Melanie Crew” and folksinger “James Black” and they releases in the past months, following a bit of time that has cropped up for me to look back at some unsigned/new artists.
Different in every way that can be conceived; Melanie is a singer-songwriter exploring experiences within a relationship through upbeat melody, James is seeking the dark pediment of modern society through song and spoken word, together they form my exploration of new music in EP Post #3.

Melanie Crew- “Further Away” (EP)
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Coming in with a six track EP entitled “Further Away”, Melanie starts with a collection with positivity by exploring emotions within a relationship. In this collection of songs the trials and tribulations of love is considered through  series of heartfelt thoughts from one person to another. It would be unrepresentative to say that the disc stays exclusively to this brief, it does take a surprising (and successful) detour in the middle and then plays out the relationship further (sadly without a happy ending).

Balanced and floral, light and balanced; Ross Palmer;s production brings the lyrics to the forefront with a polished sound that in several instances retains a good amount of emotion and longing. “Bring you back” is a great headliner, Crew’s voice shines in it’s conveyance of trust and support, possibly to a friend or partner who has gone astray, “when it seems like no one else is around, I will bring you back. I’ll take you home.” A song which goes for sweetness, it is a quiet love ballad to the extent that even the drums seem slightly hushed and the guitar a series of strums of faithful affection. With a slight feeling of yesteryear it is a gentle boil, a simmering stock of emotions. “A Hundred Words” is interesting in that it is the most accessible of tracks here and is quite catchy though hasn’t fully reached for a song hook. Upbeat and warm, it is still a nice addition. “Parade” is similar but a little bit more Country in sound and execution. There is a clean mix of vocal harmonies and the song feels like it is beginning to use the pacing and inspiration of the genre. Though it probably could go further in this regard, it hits the mark more than the previous track due to it’s sensitive and gentle nature. Crew then makes a right turn for her third track “Ghost” before returning back to the musical crossroads.

In “Ghost” there is a spooky atmosphere both in terms of vocals and delivery. The double bass (Colin Somerville) is just one element that brings the haunting; Melanie’s own backing vocals are also chilling, and her main vocal performance is quite fragile and vivid. It is definitely the best vocal showcase she makes on this collection. I love the darker themes in folk, so it might just be my own sensibilities but this track seems the strongest. I can’t say if it’s the icy instrumentation or the wildly diverging, rising and falling voice that brings the amazing chills, but it is the strongest track here by quite a margin. The final track, “Can’t find a way” at first glance differs from the established main narrative as it does not seem as overtly romantic, but actually it is part of the broader arc of being in a relationship and the process of a breakup that is occurring. This track is also quite powerful in that it does a good job of grounding the level of turmoil and confusion that happens at the end. It offers some interesting spaces to explore and leaves the tracks on a high.

For a small production, it has a nice balanced sound. There are some odd scratches, but it all plays and feels fairly rich in delivery.

As mentioned, for myself the strongest elements here are where Crew goes off theme and there are some glimmers of the unknown such as the lyrics, “what would you do, if you couldn’t run?” Fans of acoustic music that explores relationships might be tempted to give this a go, it does not offer something exclusively new but there is is some good early exploration of lyric writing and meaning here, and there is not much fault with the performance.

Why not not give the tracks a go, the EP is free to listen to and download on Bandcamp?

http://melaniecrew.bandcamp.com/

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James Black – “Days of Self Pity/Goldmine Blues” (EP)

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Next I turn to James Black, a musician with two tracks he has released on SoundCloud.

Following the large waves of gun crime and identity politics that have come to the fore in 2016; James Black, a traditional Scots and Jacobite ballads musician has waded into the foreground with the self-penned song, “Days of Self Pity” and the rather poetical “Goldmine Blues.”

There is a lot to like about this. First there is Black’s voice itself with is like a rather Celtic Dylan/Guthrie with his winding, spoken word recital,”all our heroes are dying, they are falling like flies, even the heroes of myth were mocked and despised.” There are some nice turn-of-phrases peppered throughout and the simple acoustic accompaniment gains strength from it’s 60’s sound, and this is clearly no coincidence. Black observes, and as he does he calls out the “enforcement” of human rights in our current information age berating, the hard, blunt side of equality rather than the soft, nurturing heart of what the term means. From it’s sound, it is as if the 60’s is looking and judging the age we are in, unhappy with what it sees.

It is more than rustic charm. If starkness, is it’s strength then “Goldmine Blues” is a serpent waiting to strike.

“Goldmine Blues” continues the musician’s love of form and words. Much like the reaction when you clear away the mould that is spreading through the tangerines in your fruitbowl, Black describes a broken society and local neighbourhood and how it co-exists. Once again, Black is quite a wordsmith and hits the mark at a number of interesting places, here describing just one subsection of society:

“the children of Oliver Reed and Richard Burton swallowing existence with every swallow of black bitter”

His acerbic denouncements aren’t just limited to those managing the dark drink, “hipsters” also run scurrying from his eye in his growing catalogue of spotted hypocricy as well as “trust fund drop-outs with voices like Golem.” It spills like creative bilge water and if “Days of Self Pity” is the song of disappointment, “Goldmine Blues” is the pain of a sex tourist being trampled on by muggers in the early afternoon heat. The joy in listening is the youthful voice, the voice that wishes to tear down in anger. It might not be for everyone’s taste, but the wordplay here is pretty good reminding of Irvine Welsh at most turns.

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If you fancy something raw and quite inspired, head over to Jame Black’s page on Soundcloud, or click below.

Categories
Acoustic Album/EP Reviews British Political

Steve Pledger’s – “Somewhere Between” Album Review

A self-assured album from Pledger, whose writing has clearly grown in skill. The lyrics are pleasingly concise, yet emotive and manage to capture other people’s viewpoints very well. It always persuades, but sometimes astonishes.

 

Introduction to Album

Steve Pledger is back with “Somewhere Between” his second acoustic-offering that continues to move across the themes he established quite convincingly in his album “Striking Matches in the Wind.” It is an album that continues to convey society and Steve’s particular viewpoint on politics that is somewhat left of centre. This in mind, it seems that a lot of folk fans will be drawn to the disc regardless of political alignment as it is observant in a forthright but considered way which should garner respect from all corners. The issues at the heart of his album are understandable no matter the political alignment of the listener.

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For example, on the album cover there is an image of white and red paint on the side of a boat. The paintwork is somewhat incomplete, there is a lack of certainty about the finished product. Like many folk musicians hearkening to human fears and worries, the image of sailing and travel is likened to uncertainty; here it would not be a stretch to consider that Pledger is thinking of the future of the UK. For the final track on the disc, “At he Last”, he touches on this sentiment explicitly and leading up to this point throughout the album he considers some more specific issues, notably marginalisation (“Other”), free speech (“The Right to be Wrong”), and the personal effect of mining (“The Louisa Miner”). The music is all held  together by Pledger’s attitude; if you have not heard Steve Pledger his sound is like a milky porridge mix. It is a staple, light and energy filled with fairly concise, relatively simple arrangements but also rustically sweet. I say his voice is porridge because there might be ways of making a mix of oats and milk at a Michelin-starred restaurant that would leave it unrecognisable as a working breakfast, but in doing so the factory-man’s blend becomes something less. One could not begrudge Pledger for taking some new inspiration in times to come, but while he is making political, acoustic work his direct, concise manner of delivery suits the genre, and will be recognisable to audiences.

 

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Songs

It is therefore a cohesive sound that runs throughout. “To Change the World” is Pledger starting his album with a lightly mocking dig at consumerism. Exceedingly airy and wandering it shows the singer at his most aware self, the one that is fused with his political self. The singer positions himself at odds with established ideology, slightly agitating and poking fun at some of the hypocrisies of the left, or maybe those on the right that proclaim they are interested in politics but are slipping as much in the machinations of the system as much as anyone. It doesn’t really matter, he covers both bases and namedropping “Banksy” and “Che Guevara” does give the song some memorable comedy as well, we all know someone who is singing about. The musical arrangement comes together almost like a faux reggae inspired number which is quite self aware too. Whether in construction or incidental the track lampoons a lot of targets on it’s way to your ear and serves the purpose that Steve seems to be saying throughout his work, that he is not above seeing the funny side to life. A good opening track whichever way you look at it.

“Lefty, wait your turn!” is a light touch song that contrasts by pulling some heavyweight names from elsewhere on the political spectrum (e.g. Rosa Parks and Luther King”). There is a call for change, perhaps Pledger is pointing to actions being louder than words, “the more we push the harder this boat rocks”, and that the system itself will not bring about the change, “you don’t get much change out of the bottom of a ballot box.” The piano/organ is quite chirpy when it appears and Luka’s Drinkwater’s double bass brings a nice extra layer to the overall sound too. It all keeps pace, like a kick around with your mates in the back-yard or the familiar pub discussions you know you will have when you see your colleagues at the bar. The track is what you expect it to be which is no bad thing.

 

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A couple of tracks that bring some poignancy are “The Louisa Miner” and “Other”. Simplicity and conciseness in explanation are elements of Steve’s work that appeal the most, though Steve’s music is quite characterful with it. “The Louisa Miner” explores the risks of this way of life, the people that are taken from us, and the families that are undoubtedly drawn into the dangerous work in a different way. It’s strength is that it provides a voice for the miner, exposing the necessity of what they are doing to themselves but also the need to provide for the family, “And if you want a home, Kids and a wife, Bread on the table, a little jam on your knife”. There is a considered purity of language here. When considered alongside “To Change the World” we see that Pledger has clearly grown in his music writing style since the last album. He is taking on different points of views, different modes of speaking, and has now written in the voices of the subjects he is singing about. Pledger captures the sadness and the complexities quite beautifully here and this is a particular strength from this album.

“Other” is more of a blank canvas that waits for the audience to paint upon. It is a quietly reflective song with an (even) starker arrangement of instruments. As it plays it is somewhat like a cold, quiet thought or an amble down a misty glen. Tanya Allen’s fiddle takes pleasure in it’s restless unhappiness in the central character as the song explores identity, and whilst it does seemingly reference skin colour, “my soul would choose a body fair”, the writer has intentionally created a stage here for different people to identify within and play their own parts. In truth it does not seem to seek to address any particular issue, e.g. race, sexuality, age, gender identity, and leaves this matter for the listener to make their own minds and personal links. It feels a bit different to many of the tracks on the album and is one of the best on here.

I am also particularly fond of “I spat fire.” The lyrics are clever “illuminated beauty/vitriolic duty”, the song is almost pop in it’s catchiness, and the imagery within is a thing of inspiration, “the seasons, Lazarus, and darkness.” It could be about a time in a tent, it could also be a creation myth. There is something rather smoky, quite engulfing about the track and I don’t think it’s just the Ledaig I have made a start on. Evocative and interesting it slightly mixes the practical memory with an almost transcendental subtext. The album finishes with “At the last” which (as mentioned) uses the familiar and comforting metaphor of the boat on a choppy sea to describe Pledger’s feelings of uncertainty. It is uncertain about British society, people that kind of thing, “We chart our course, beyond the bow there lies, every fall and every rise we must withstand” but it also exhibits Pledger’s hope that runs throughout the album like a vein of gold in earthy rock.

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Conclusion

Steve Pledger takes the strengths of the acoustic genre and sharpens his political scalpel with it. I say scalpel rather than cleaver because there is a sense of care of what is being put in; the songs are not a mindless attack. You can tell that these things matter to him, it truly comes across in the song but there is an aura, a vapour of Pledger’s open-mindedness, and he is self-aware as he clearly treads with humour and good nature. It feels like there is more variety here than “Striking Matches in the Wind.” Even if there are probably fewer instances of recognisable chants (I am looking at you, “This Land is Poundland”), it doesn’t really matter. Grounded in the world, speaking for people it’s succinct and powerful manner gives it acoustic heart, heart that is unashamedly moved by a changing UK landscape. Fans of political folk will be sold, fans of the acoustic should also give this a gander. Steve Pledger is growing in power.

“Something Between” was launched on 7 Nov 2016. The best place to buy the album is on Steve’s website here, priced £12.

The tour is still continuing too, check out details of where Steve will be playing here.

Check out a video of “Other” below!

I do not hold, or claim copyright for the pictures/links in the above post, they belong to their respective owners.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music Nature Folk Poem Review Political

Lady Maisery – Cycle – (Album Review in Poem Form)

LADY MAISERY- CYCLE (poetic review)

 

A dawn chorus whose stalwart shanties wash an ignorance of history past they 

approach the day careening in Physis’ circuit, putting a breathy foot to a metal horse.

As an earthy watchmaker sets out her table, she is brought an old face.

Burrowing into these metal shells and eyeing her tested tools, she works it’s body.

A chrome infant meets an ancient quartz, no splinter in the ingot. No fault in the join.

A story begins, a story never ends.

 

Thoughtful, the trio acknowledge a family’s love; itself a supporting stage.

Then onward in the quiet of night they deliver “A Father’s Lullaby”, a deep loss within a

lavish labyrinth. This rustling fern echoes, it’s court expands

splitting any stone wall, it creates a sculpture of armouring ice. In spirit

it is rather a brooding temper that swells, dances upon a fulcrum

and begets a mournful embrace.

 

Elsewhere. Be it the Brotherhood or the dissenting diggers;

no grey day, nor loss of sight has moved

the gravel of union or changed the call of the common man.

As the picket lines are emptied and the rain comes,

three birds honour a call from the halls, the canteens, the mills.

And their struggles are not forgotten.

 

These worked hands turn anew; a heated heart of stories told are spun.

Within it there is one part renewal, then a struggle ensues, and finally action turns to thought.

Lay these words all down. A mysticism teases as a chesnut woman brings unimaginable gifts.

In your mind you see her, dancing on a velvet sheet. Her enigma stays creased but her care of step is truly stellar.

Together they move, together they waltz. In order, a sweet continuum of three fine artists.

Truly an epic of the annum.

 

It is a great album in every sense of the word.

Released recently on 28 October, you can buy it at Rootbeat Records here. Lady Maisery are also on tour (check here), so I would recommend seeing them live too.

If you are still not sure, check out a Youtube video of track number 11, “Order and Chaos”, just one example of a singular tune from the album.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Scots Traditional

EP Post Autumn 2016 #2 Iona Fyfe Band-“East”-” a particular flair and vigour that shows more than a nod to the time and land of the past”

Iona Fyfe Band – East

Publisher: Birnam CD

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Iona Fyfe (and band’s) “East” EP has been out for a while; since July 1st in actuality.

Four months have passed, the leaves now fall and the darkening has already beckoned. When the cold weather truly starts I know several people who will be looking back and lamenting the loss of the sun. The only lament I have is that I did not share my experiences of this disc by Iona Fyfe sooner. As an individual with an incredibly thorough interest in the new and developing folk sub-genres, I am surprisingly growing an appreciation for the traditional as well (yes, I  will admit it is not my first folk of choice). It is certainly encouraging to see these forms being reproduced and continued with younger artists, and it is done with an honest passion here. Iona’s tour has now ended and the whirlwind of heather breeze has settled, so I would like to look back at this release and let you know what I thought, but first who is Iona Fyfe and her band?

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Iona Fyfe is a musician, a young musician who is blessed more than her namesake (which means “blessed”). Through Scotlands’ youth art programme “Time to Shine” she has made an impact on the folk circuit from Prestonpans to Dalbeattie on tour, was a semi-finalist for the BBC2 Young Folk Award in 2015 through interpretations of traditional songs (in particular ballads), and a BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017 Finalist. It is a growing profile and clearly must be a source of pride for the traditional scene in Scotland and the UK as a whole. The band consists of Iona (vocals, piano, Shruti box), Charlie Grey (fiddle, tenor, guitar), Chris Ferrie (guitar, bodhran), Callum Cronin (double bass), and Ross Miller (border pipes). A folk-rich variety of instruments (particularly the Shruti box, love the sound of this) there are some interesting opportunities within this Gaelic assembly; the tour for the most part is over, but there are some dates coming up early next year (see here) so with all that being said how is the EP?

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The first track “Sleepytoon” (Roud 3775) is an Aberdeenshire “bothy ballad” often sung by farm servants of their wages and lives that helped during tasks they performed through the day. There are a few striking things in this track which draws me to it alongside the possibly satirical content of the “hard-working farmer” such as Iona Fyfe’s voice and the great interplay between double bass, bodhran, and fiddle. It is said that much of the magic in folk is in the arrangement, particularly as there are so many good singers out there and it becomes a legendary quest to categorise and describe these competing talents. Iona’s voice is like a graphene butterfly, delicate in form but strong in flexibility and character. She draws a lot from the track and an undisguised reverence for the material in her intonation, a fluttering, melodic Summer shawl of colour. The fiddle finds a characters in few dark corners to get dancing too, the bodhran lays down the cobbles for a wonderful mountainous trek too.

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More contemporary sounding but sharing in the “bothy” status, “pride of Aberdeen” follows the story of a girl orphaned at 11, engaged at 17 and unfortunate to pass away in the same year. Not an uncommon story, one that in a similar vein resonates even into the pop world with “The Trees They do Grow High” it has a consistent undercurrent of energy and is peppered with an almost modern sounding Country accompaniment. Track three’s “Queen Amang the Heather” broods quite a bit more. Under the established fiddle we have a love ballad that is bolstered by Iona’s piano. It paints the picture of seduction well, Iona’s interpretation feels fast-paced and at certain points in the track seems to veer in another, exciting direction as like when malting barley, it turns and catches your senses. “Cairn o’ Mount” is an Aberdeen song covered fairly extensively by tradition bearers. The instrumentation falls away here, Iona’s voice is the vehicle for a fine blend, a budding surge of a number that displays her voice as a fresh, charismatic call to history. “Bonny Udny”, the final track is a different kind of tradition, namely one making reference to Udny (the village in Aberdeenshire) and the love of the character’s life. Slightly epic in terms of ballads it starts out as a quiet piano reflection but later is a marriage of the pipes, present guitar and a fiddle chaperone. The solo instrumental at the end is something to particularly look forward to here.

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Alongside “Sleepytoon”, “Earl Richard” is a favourite on the album. A song covering part of an epic story about a woman killing her ex-lover who previously jilted her and is in keeping with the remainder of the tracks with it’s myth and history but extent of the song’s movement to England and across the water explains the scope of the material has traditionally had. The pipes are strong with this one, it is performed with character almost like how you might imagine it told over a campfire, gestures and all. Also, what is not to like about talking birds? A sustained number which benefits from keeping up the pace.

The Iona Fyfe Band in performance here have convinced me further of the intrigue lurking in Aberdeenshire, of the annuls of history and the dark secrets of lovers, farmers and the land. The land seems so far up and away from me, but a piece of it has now come to me. It is traditional folk indeed, but with a particular flair and vigour that shows more than a nod to the time and land of the past.
Their music seems inseparable from the place, and hark my words this is no bad thing at all.

Fans of folk music that is rooted in the Scotland Highlands need to see what the fuss is about with Iona Fyfe, and look at the hands and hearts that many of these historical artifacts will be carried by in years to come.

There is a lot to like on this disc, it is in all senses a successful, flavoursome EP that thoroughly breathes Aberdeenshire in both reverence and quality.
If you like traditional folk, this EP is a no-brainer, if there are any left you should go and get one right now.

Iona Fyfe Band’s EP is still available for £6 through her website here, give the above videos a look on You Tube too!