Category: Folk Music

Categories
Americana Indie Folk

September 2016 : Little Lapin’s “Lover’s Gate”

Little Lapin – “Lover’s Gate” from the Album “Holding Out for the Kicks”

Album available @ CDBaby and BandCamp 

Website http://www.littlelapinmusic.com/

Check out the website for details of their tour!

 

What can I say?

I reviewed this album the other week for FATEA magazine,  (here) and listened to some of the tracks before moving on to some other albums on my list.

But the other night I was driving and I was observing the quietness on the roads and the mix of drunken tragedy (as the students are back) and seemingly tender moments in the palely lit walkways, it made me think of this song.

It is an indie folk song that is semi post-apocalyptic. What I mean is, you can imagine that the content is almost mildly fearful of what is to come, much like Grime’s “Oblivion” from the other year it conjures a sense of the void. But much like the rest of the album, it has youthful optimism which is communicated in quite an understated way on the album and in particular in this song . The subject in the song seemingly muses on a backup plan for just in case the world implodes and burns, it is delicately and beautifully sung with a touch of melancholy, it’s simplicity is it’s strength.

Not just that, the live performance is spot on with the album, the lighting and atmosphere is moody and evocative(if only I was there).

Check it out, much like the album in general there is a dream-like essence and a musing which gets the thoughts going.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Dark Folk Folk Music Nature Folk

Jenny Sturgeon’s “From the Skein” Album Review

A good debut album that effectively conveys Sturgeon’s love of history. A balance exists as wide myth collides with shared Scots history; brilliance flickers in some of the darker tracks which hint at even better things to come.

I have been taking some time to have a listen to Jenny Sturgeon’s debut album, “From the skein”, it is indeed an interesting beast.

Produced by Simon Gall who Jenny worked with on a disc nominated in 2015 for the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Award/Folk Radio Album of the year (Clype’s album “Clype”), the album design recognises Jenny’s voice and creates some interesting space in which she works within. It dabbles in some surprising but not heavy-handed different world influences which like the salt and lime with tequila make something else out of something that could be much more standard fare. Co-arrangers and multi-intrumentalists Davy Cattanach (from Catford), Jonny Hardie (from Old Blind Dogs), Grant Anderson (from Brothers Reid) and special guests Brian McApline (accordian), Aongus Mac Amhlaigh (cello), Fraser Fifield (whistle and sax), Ana Maia MacLellan (gaelic singer), and  Rahul K Ravindran (Indian Carnatic singer) add texture across the album in a great blend of traditions and choices.

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The first thing that both strikes you from it’s looks is the hints at the contents from within the album cover artwork by Jenny (and Will Miles). It is aiming for both a historical and natural feel with the front reference to wild geese in formation with it’s slightly faded wash and appearance of being a “discovered” illustration  from antiquity. It seems to work when viewed through this lens as you can imagine the scene in something like Cadfael where a camera pans from a clergy man to a side manuscript with the eponymous geese being sketched and studied no end. The artwork is lovely and shows the attachment of the artist to her Aberdeen dwellings, the choice of geese is more an implicit connection of the themes in the album. Rather than it feeling like an album about travel, migration or nature, it is more concerned with human history, religion, and political events; nature and the world spins around these here. What of the feel of the album?

Jenny Sturgeon is an artist who brings the sensibilities of traditional tracks which are punctuated with a conglomerate of instrumental artists. The folk music here is liberally sprinkled with myth but not exclusively so. Some tracks are like the roots of myth and take direct story influence (e.g. Maiden Stone) where others are like the shoots and seem more contemporary (e.g. Running Free) and both are quite welcoming and engaging in different ways. Sturgeon’s work tackles some darker elements but chooses not to constrain itself solely to a particular sound. Rightly (or wrongly I suppose based on viewpoint) “From the Skein” is a broader showcase of talent than a set of music which is concerned with furrowing a deep trail of one type, I somewhat prefer the darker stuff and when it gets fairly heavy it is very much like a brewing, nebulous demitasse but it would not have been a wise move to stick to this alone. I then had a think about some of the tracks within.

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“Maiden Stone” at the beginning has a powerful hum which emanates from the central core of the song like a space monolith among a red-dune planet. Of course the track itself is more down to earth as  a direct reference to the Maiden Stone near Inverurie in Scotland. The song is based on  the myth of a wager that the main character makes with a man when she tries to get out of a marriage following an unfortunate discovery, “was then she spied the fork in his tail, she was to be Beezlebub’s bride.” It is one of those stories veenered in history. The urgent and sharp guitars progress the song on and the woodwind wraps across the track like a mysterious shawl, there is a hint of jazz as it blusters with mild chaos and the inevitability draws near. The story sets a relatively grim, but darkly comforting track at the beginning of the album which probably plays on the safer side, but is executed well with a recognisable traditional voice as it navigates lyrical content deep into the witching hour.

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“Raven” is a gutsy shanty which I don’t want to do it a disservice, but it is almost like a folk rap. Probably the best track on the album, Sturgeon’s voice rises and falls not unlike the waves of the sea. The whole arrangement is shiveringly fleshed out with powerful rasping drums and percussion in accompaniment, pickling vinegar strings and the repetition of “the voice of wind through broken stone, “the wind seeps in, the wind seeps in.” It does indeed, and you feel like the track could be your swansong as the ill-natured sea reclaims the land which you cling to. While wordily traditional and briny, the drumming is more 90s pop rock or ballad-like. Stunningly despairing in tone, yet uptempo in pace it surprises and leaves you wanting more. Like a boat, there are points where the track lurches as the drums and cymbals change, you are not sure where it is going but that is part of the excitement.

Sturgeon’s “Selkie” returns to the subject matter of legends and historical superstitions set up early on the album, except taking the broad concept of the “selkie” (a sea seal that sheds it’s skin on land and becomes a beautiful human male or female) and telling a story around this Shetland/Nordic creature of old. Starting as a lo-fi number like a creature alone in the sea it then like a briny Talisker malt opens up; the still waters splash on the shores and it takes a number of world influences and adds a more Eastern sound. Minor harmonies arise, the male singing accompaniment brings a timeless, hidden aspect to the song while Sturgeon herself adopts a clear, distinctive and longing voice through the course of proceedings. The transition of the arrangement is well executed, the track truly speaks, it all plays together well and holds nicely. It becomes an epic world tune in no time before your ears and an engulfing number the expanse of Rahul L Ravindran’s voice and the instruments hint at a horizon and ageless plain of sound. 

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“Harbour Masters” unlike the other tracks mentioned so far is a lighter number but an incredibly sensory one that goes some way to building on a picture of contentment yet active energy at the edge of land and sea. It leaps into your mind as the purposeful bustle of your surroundings combine with a spirit of freedom and fun. The harbour master is a philosophical woman looking out to see the space between imagination and sees the wonder rolling out through the shoreline, “for miles it seems that I can see in the dimming of the night.” An accessible track that appeals like warmer lapping brooks in contrast to the cold wall of history and dark mysticism. As it appears, it brings more balance to the album and shows a mid-set track which reminds that we are away from the everyday and where nature meets people there can be simple pleasures to be had in it’s observation. It pairs quite well with the other evocative night track on the album that focuses on the moment, “Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“The Honours” is another historical story. This one is led quite strongly with whistle and fiddle describing the hiding of the Scottish crown jewels by Rev. James Grainger after they were moved from Edinburgh Castle, and then Dunnottar Castle to a church in Kinneff to save them from a fate of anti-establishment destruction by Oliver Cromwell. A traditional, drum heavy number it is a rhythmic reminder of the past that tells a simple yet significant story of Scottish history. Alongside some of the tracks already mentioned it does show quite a good eye for songwriting from historical sources, Sturgeon clearly has a warm spot for the whole part of this land; be it the more popular, widely-held myths from the mainland, the more obscure village yarns or the quiet murmors of apprehensive sailors there are ties to history and theme which moves the work away from an overly emotive piece concerned with feeling alone.

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Overall, a good debut. It intrigues a little, it celebrates Scotland a lot, and it tries hard to immerse you into the world it is painting and for the vast majority it succeeds very well at this. It appeals in part to fans of traditional folk though balances this with more modern timings on certain tracks. The world influence is strong here and a crossover between world and folk, it gets the balance right in my opinion and the braver choices of arrangement and instrumentation pay off well. If you have a space on your folk shelf, I certainly recommend “From the Skein.”

If you wish to purchase the album, the best place to go is Jenny’s bandcamp page, https://jennysturgeon.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-skein where you can hear samples of the tracks before purchasing!

 

Track list

  1. Maiden Stone
  2. Raven
  3. Running Free
  4. Selkie
  5. Nowhere Else I’d Rather Be
  6. Honest Man
  7. Cùlan
  8. Linton
  9. Harbour Masters
  10. Judgement
  11. The Honours
  12. Fair Drawin’ In

If you are still uncertain, check out a clip of “Selkie” from the Isle of May Foghorn Sessions.

 

 

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music

Gentle Heart – Saskia Griffiths-Moore’s debut album (a review)

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.




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.


“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 be like Stannah Overture 2b, but once again Saskia’s vocals make it more compelling then it could have been otherwise.



“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, acroamatic 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.





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).

You can buy the album direct here. If you follow details on the page you can purchase the disc for £12 or purchase through other means and sources accordingly.


Saskia;s album launched on 5th February 2016, she is touring through the South West following the launch, go to the website for further information here.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music

Rob Lane – Ends and Starts (album review)

Rob Lane's Ends and Starts

Blues rock that warms the senses for Spring and gets the room moving in an optimistic, light-hearted manner


Intro


In taking a mild diversion from things going on in my current home County (Yorkshire), the South West with it’s wonderful mysteries, and the cosmopolitan excitement of emerging folk around London, I have decided to go back to near where I grew up looking for new folk developments on my radar: the West Midlands to be precise. 


Writing reviews began in the North for me so when an interesting opportunity came up to look at the music scene in the Midlands it was something a bit different, but that’s fine most people like a bit of variety. In this case the variety I sought was Robert Lane, a predominantly Blues/Rock/Singer-Songwriter with close ties to Birmingham, and strangely only the second detailed review I have really made about a male singer.

Musician/Album


Robert Lane is a musician who since studying in nearby Wolverhampton has gone onward and outward spreading the message of his blues/folk music around quite far (Germany and Scotland as extreme examples) and alongside his other vocation as an actor has certainly been putting the hours in. He has appeared on several local BBC radio stations such as BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC Radio Shropshire, and BBC Radio WM, he has been warm-up acts for big names such as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Ellie Goulding and has been a mainstay support act for a number of recognisable acts such as O’Hooley and Tidow (love these ladies), Steve Gibbons, and Alice Gold (and many others). Rob has attended a few festivals too and has previously launched a debut album entitled “Robert Lane”. He is currently touring (details here) in preparation for the launch of his work “End and Starts”, a new seven track album on 26th March 2015 by Fish Records (see here), so how is it?

In terms of the content of the album, Robert Lane’s voice feels relaxed and the disc’s character is equally breezy which has wide appeal. This matches the idea of a Spring release, something that feels like a disc which is bringing the cheer back after Winter. There is an easy-going nature that permeates the songs here despite the content being about loneliness, murder and separation- it is all communicated in a way which is easy on the ears. For a potentially introspective and weighty collection of topics, the artist brings the sensibilities of pop and blues rock to keep the music train moving without dwelling for too long so listeners who prefer the cheery side of melodies will be at home with this disc. It is not unusual for an album to be like an extension of an artist’s personality and, if that is the case here then it portrays a singer who recognises obstacles ahead but is an old hand at keeping optimistic and seeing a way through. Listeners who are looking for an uplift and instant impulse to dance will certainly find a lot of appeal in this album, it is not looking to explain or explore life’s ups and downs in detail, it comes across with the primary purpose to entertain (which it does as it shares it’s take on life). How about the songs?



The Songs

Tracks


1. My Love’s in Deep

2. It Feels like 5000 Miles

3. Break My Heart Blues

4. Wilful Independent

5. Teardrop Tattoo

6. Alone Now

7. Mary’s Theme


There are seven tracks on the album, there are four which I will mention in this review.

The first track, “My Love’s in Deep” is a toe-tapping crowd pleaser that gets the disc started. It is upbeat and sways along in an optimistic manner, a bit like the PRS for Music song from the artist “Peace” I keep hearing when I go to the cinema. The difference is that this song has much better lyrical content and has a bit more character. It sets the scene quite nicely, the electric guitar accompanies and it ticks the boxes for audience participation with it’s gently encouraging lyrics, “you took me for dinner.. you wouldn’t let me pay.” It is a soft-rock track sang with enthusiasm that welcomes the album to the listener. Track two, “Break My Heart Blues” is instantly recognisable as a blues track with it’s warm riffs, sharp guitar interludes and a that voice that wraps and pulls the guiding lament through. Rob’s voice is both likable and young, “I’ve gone through hell, and I’m not doing so good.. and you know this time.. I really thought I would” and has the means to satisfy the most ardent fans of acoustic stylings. It serves not as an outright challenge to the music world or making a big claim; the song’s laidback and light touch gives it the feel that it would be played in a set after the crowd’s attention has been grabbed and the artist is seeking to keep the crowd with him, and this it does accomplish.  



“Alone Now”is a bit different. It is a the mix of Blues and 50s rock but there is an on older kind of ballad influence coming in compared to some of the previous tracks bringing some versatility to the singer’s range. Rob’s voice is a little different here, he is almost hearkening to Roy Orbison except with a more minimal, less orchestral backing. For some reason it reminds me of Mud’s “Lonely this Christmas” (title lyric similarities aside) as well or more recently in folk music some tracks and attitude from Marina Florance’s latest album; it must be something to do with the reverb on the vocal track of the radio cut that I heard for the review that gives it a different feel. It is a good indicator that Rob will be good at live performances (thought I admit I have not yet attended). What it shares with the other works mentioned is a sense of the yesteryear and showmanship, and potentially through further lyrical craft, a leading aspect of his musical self.


My favourite track on the album is Teardrop Tattoo. It is a funny old song which amuses and intrigues on a number of levels. I’m not entirely sure if it is meant to be taken as pure comedy especially as it is a song about a murderer but there is something about the song which entertains enormously. Throughout the album you become accustomed to Rob’s voice on the lighter, calmer side of things, then a song about a guy looking for victims comes out of the blue! It intrigues though because as he is reciting his own mantra, “I’m evil.. so evil.. just lock me away” you are not sure he could hurt a fly following his previous songs of love and loss. So far he hasn’t made you feel like he is a cold-blooded killer as the pace and mood of the guitar is quite sanguine, particularly on this track. But then on the other hand, Rob sounds a bit like Ed Norton, an actor who pulls off some of the best “crazy guy” roles without sounding like the grim reaper or looking like a body double for WWE’s The Undertaker, so a dilemma is brought about. I really like the track as it feels like a folk song that might turn over into a Tenacious D song within incredibly short notice. In the midst of a fairly sensible and serious album it can be seen as a glimmer of an emerging talent for characterisations that go outside his own natural voice and presentation. It is the song I will remember the most from Ends and Starts.


In the End…

You can tell Robert loves what he does. The album is consistent in it’s warmth and widespread appeal and has a knack for bringing with it a sunny disposition. It is relaxed, not in the sense of amateur jazz, but in a confident, modern performance from someone who clearly has a passion for the Blues and it’s powerful musical influences. There are no gimmicks on the tracks, they stand as they are so if you are keen on getting in knots with symbolic lyrics and the use of detailed commentaries of life from your music, you will not find that as much here. If you are a person of action who knows what music you like and sees gigs as an opportunity to get up and dance and have a good time, then Rob Lane is for you. The album is full of good cheer, the music is clean, approachable and Rob himself is enviably upbeat with a voice that is crystal clear. So what is there not to like?

Check out the sample videos below, have a listen!

Details of Rob’s current tour are here, his date at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on 26th March is the album launch date.. if you like what you hear then get down there as soon as possible! More details of this here.

For more details about Robert, go to his website at: 

http://robertlanemusic.blogspot.co.uk/

All photos in the above post belong to their respective owners, no claim of ownership is asserted or implied in their inclusion he

Categories
Folk Music Gigs

The Silver Darlings: Watermark- Single Launch in Sheffield (review)

A band with fire enjoying their musical influences without putting themselves in a box


I recently had the pleasure of attending the single launch with The Silver Darlings, a Sheffield-based indie-folk group at The Heeley Institute (Sheffield) and was more than pleasantly surprised.


The Silver Darlings are part of Ankle Breka Records, a growing independent music record based in Sheffield that is headed by Paul Littlewood, an artist in his own right. Before the Silver Darlings took the stage, Paul struck out and started the evening with a blues-tinged, acoustic voice quickly created an attentive, interested audience for what was yet to come. Paul himself is soon due to release a track, “Fire and Rain” with Neil McSweeney. McSweeney, if you are not sure. is pretty high on the Sheffield pantheon of folk artists not least due to his continued support of the stalwart figure Richard Hawley and some other high profile appearances in and around the city (I saw him at HARC’s last charity concert in Sheffield Cathedral with Nancy Kerr, Fay Hield and others), so there was a feeling that Littlewood would be pretty good, and he was. 



The main band played a warm set amongst the nautically themed space and whilst the band do not resemble their namesake (i.e. there is no passing resemblance to a herring in sight) there was everything else you might to come to expect such as a sea of candles in bottles, light-houses surrounded by shells and muted lighting… everything bar the sailing boat. It certainly looked the picture and set a good mood for the evening. Who are the Silver Darlings?

The Silver Darlings have changed line-ups a few times and now seem to be settling in stream and putting down some more solid roots. The band is made up of Andy Whitehouse (vocals), Lindsay Callaway (bass, backing vocals), Harry Corps (keyboard), Richard Master (lead guitar), Simon Joy (violin), and James Howe (drums and percussion). A good mix and the sight of a dedicated percussionist always brings a smile to my face whether it is drums of a box or anything, Simon Joy’s violin brought quite a bit to the show also. 



Prior to The Silver Darlings playing their new single, they played a some songs from their back catalogue such as “Pilgrims”, “Goldfish Girl” and “I’m Ready” from their 2011 album “Souls”. The songs that the Silver Darlings played covered quite a range like: jazz, folk, funk, and rock; it is all held together and works due to the song writing and ease at occupying this space between categories. “Goldfish Girl” is a a great jazz-infused, lovingly meandering and exploratory track. It floats in the air like the aforementioned subject’s attention and memories and plays nicely with the imagery throughout with the singer trying to “catch you in the little net.” It is a playful song for a playful band. Like loose fitting linen trousers in the heat of the Indian Summer, it is not everyone’s cup of tea, but few would complain that they didn’t make things cool. “Pilgrims” is a speedy and immediate number that thrusts you quite successfully into the varied, dizzying world travel, immigration and people trying to make connections with one another. “I’m ready” is like an indie-rock anthem with sincerity that uplifts, going for clarity and strength rather than the complexity of the previous songs but being positively memorable for it. It is safe to say that The Silver Darlings go for a catch-all approach with their music; it’s folk and rock influences familiar to an older crowd, but not inaccessible to newer audiences who enjoy the live music scene.



With the launch of “Watermark” we get a musing, folk-rock track that has the feeling of Spring due to it’s energy and movement. The track, much like the band occupies an interesting niche with it’s persistent and engaging guitars alongside lyrics with imagery (but ones that encourage gentle thought rather than the enigma of someone like Don Mclean). The song is (like many) about the complexity of love, describing love lost and love regained and has been reworked much like the relationship itself following a 27 year gap, with all the thoughts in between. In the song we get some nice turns of phrase such as, “And from time to time I blink and you’re gone, and it’s your face I focus on” and “she blazed down on me like the sun, the shadow lingers long after she’s gone,” it is all powerful symbolism. If the Silver Darlings were a pop-rock group they would not be a hundred leagues from REM, Andy’s voice is laid-back, but from the performance you can tell it is well-rehearsed and the band is clearly serious about entertaining, maybe he is a bit like Bill Bailey in his more serious musical moments or a more optimistic Ian Curtis. Perhaps it is the particular coupling of lyrics and rock, or maybe its the lighter backing vocals and harmonies of Lindsay Calloway that reminds me of the B-52’s Kate Pierson in “Shiny Happy People” that appeals, but nevertheless it is a merry number, for a merry band. The Silver Darlings feel like they are making a push in the live music scene, reminding us of music that rocks without dumbing down the core message, a group I would strongly recommend.


Give them a go, check out their website here, get yourself a copy of the single here, and check out their previous album while you are at it.

Categories
Folk Music Gigs

Steamchicken@Shakespeares “A dynamic, captivating performance that stays in the mind”

Steamchicken Live @ Shakespeares in Sheffield

Shakespeares’ Pub, Sheffield 2 April 2016


These chickens can play, in a dynamic, captivating performance that stays in the mind


I have recently had the good fortune to be very pleasantly surprised at a local gig in Sheffield; I scoured the ‘net looking for something I’d not heard of and the name “Steamchicken” leapt out at me from the digital screen. Part cuisine, part jazz sounding, it is a name which surely brings uncertainty and surprise so I decided to give it a go; I am so glad I did. Taking place at Shakespeares Pub at the beginning of their tour is a good choice, the pub itself is a good night out by anyone’s money in virtue of the boxes it ticks. Traditional pub? Check. Tons of whisky and real ale? Check again and that’s before checking the furniture that has turned a blind eye to modern pretensions. 


In virtue of it’s location as a kind of outpost from the real-ale rich pubs of Kelham Island it ranks up there with the more interesting and honest drinking nights out you can have in Sheffield. This praise comes without any commercial pressure to publicity plug the pub, I strangely only came across it’s existence last year despite living in and out of Sheffield for the best part of 12 years and genuinely find it as a great discovery.


On arrival I was handed one of Steamchicken’s flyers, it has a proud vote of confidence written on it from Blackbeard’s Tea Party who say that:


“It’s a scientifically certified fact that no mammal can listen to steamchicken and resist dancing” 


BTP have a strong reputation and this might be enough to seal the deal for many many live music enthusiasts especially if they are fans of the aforementioned band.. but then you hear Steamchicken amongst the pretty packed space at the top of the Shakespeares pub and realise that something quite special is happening and it’s not just all hype.

And they weren’t doing it alone either.



To start the gig had the pleasure of Robin Garside’s warm up act, which as a very well-known local folk musician is a mark of distinction. Robin has been involved in the business of folk for quite a while having as he describes it “done the rounds of the British folk club circuit for years” as well as being involved as a tutor at Barnsley College for their music degree and leader of Sheffield Traditional Fiddlers Society. He has obviously reached the heart of folk and is playing it for all to see as he selected a distinctive set of simplistic, powerful and often incredibly comedic numbers.


He starting with a mildly-disclaimered song “40 miles” warning that is has a rude subtext. In this song you can see some odd connections (most which are probably not intentional) with the Proclaimers. His “40 miles” might be less than their “500 miles” but the subject of Garside’s song is instead relieved that the object of his affection has “opened the door and let me in”. It is a sharp contrast to the pleading of the Scots brothers in “Make my heart fly” that they “can’t do any more to get inside your door”; is the lesson here that Robin has better dance moves and has the key? It is a delightful start that paints a picture of a witty artist who draws the crowd in through the clarity of his music and playing and size of his heart. 


He followed later with a song about vegetarianism, an unlikely topic to first springs to mind in folk (unless maybe you are a fan of Merry Hell maybe) but it is a comic wonder of a track where rabbits, fish, and English breakfasts together lament the fact they were going to be eaten and wildly protest to the singer. It is slightly surreal and incredibly jaunty number and a love the fact it is somewhat existential in that it sees a slight absurdity to existence. The humour would not work without Garside’s solid playing and strong voice though, so it is a good job he brought them too! 


Another highlight by Garside was a more than serviceable cover of “January Man” by Christy Moore. It is a relatively ballad with a economical arrangement about each month in the year and how it is a character much in the same vein as the nursery rhyme, “Monday’s child”. Robin maintains the simplicity, authenticity and wonder of the track as he strums through the phases of the year from cold to warm describing the frost and wonder within, “the poor November man sees fire and mist, and wind and rain and winter air.” There are some great descriptions here which leads me to feel that it is a song that clearly needs more widespread attention then what it currently gets.


All in all worth the price of admission, and that is before we get to Steamchicken. 



Steamchicken are a particularly energetic and fun group comprising the fantastic Amy Kakoura on vocals, Matt Crum on sax, Katy Oliver on trumpet, Becky Eden-Green on Alto Sax, Mandy Sutton on Tenor sax, Benn Wold and Joe Crum on percussion, Ted Crum on harmonica, and Andrew Sharpe on piano. As can be seen they are brass heavy, and it is this that brings an enviable character to their sound and creates bridges between the genres that they play.  


They are somewhat complex and also intriguing with definitive drumming and a sound which describes their interests in folk, jazz, soul and funk in equal measure. For myself it also brought flashbacks to the 80s and 90s too with more than a touch of second and third wave ska. Many of their original numbers reminded of the first and second No Doubt albums and Amy Kakoura certainly has the kind of genre defining sound of early Gwen Stefani and the sense of fun that came from this era of music. The group’s membership has grown over the 20 years that the artists have known each other but regardless of how long each member has been in the band, their coming together show a very apparent level of rehearsal and confidence and the more recent faces have added a nice diversity to their newer tracks. So what of the tracks?


“Boom boom, out go the lights” has the character and energy of a bombastic soul-pop number which contains a dollop of grooving interludes and an engaging harmonica input which is intensely and tightly woven into a light-touch film noire backdrop. It is both punchy and accessible and under the hot pink haze of Shakespeares you could almost see the cigar smoke and neon lights encircling as touching the night air. Similarly there was “Wake Up Juice” a fun, bluesy look at the idea of divorcing booze following a heavy session the night before. Regret might be a common theme in blues music (and this was no exception) but still it carried a resonance and was an interesting inclusion to the session, not least due to the rich of it’s imagery and exploration of “blood on the windows.. blood on the walls”. You can feel the agony wrought into the music here of the hangover and the wonderful passion of misery. We also got some foot-stomping action from some signature Ceilidh songs (old Joe’s jig) and a fine cover of the old song “O Mary don’t you weep” with a bit of audience participation for the famous chorus.



My favourite song of the evening was undoubtedly “Sailing in August” based on Becky (the Alto Sax’s) Summer Holiday. The holiday itself was said to be a mixed affair, but I couldn’t say that for the song. There was a briny, blazing vocal from the lead singer and the song sounded like where it was in absolutely the best sense. The brass moved left to right and there was the sound of the breeze along with the chorus “and the wind blew”. It certainly felt like you were taken out of a place and put into another (which is something for my internal cynic to learn from). Top notch in every sense, atmospheric to the hilt and a belter of a track. 


Steamchicken are melodic with a big band sound, an expressive blues singing voice and some accomplished forays with popular numbers as well as their newer tracks. It felt at times that the room struggled to contain them, it certainly feels like Blackbeard’s tea Party were being overly cautious with their remarks given the richness and energy of sound. Along with the great warm up of Robin Garside it is true to say there is something here for everyone too and it is family friendly. It is rare that I instantly think of seeing a repeat gig in the near future but on the strength of character, sound and charm that they bring, it is not too distant or unwelcome thought to have.


Steamchicken are still on tour, details here for a show near you all over the Country and at several Folk Festivals.


For further details of their band and album releases, go here.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Americana Folk Music Indie Folk

Edd Donovan and the Wandering Moles – Making Mountains (Vol 1)

Edd Donovan and the Wandering Moles: Making Mountains (Vol 1)




An artist with old school authenticity and a collection of songs aptly wrapped in the phenomenology of experience drenched in Americana which takes the best aspects of modern music

Album: Making Mountains (Vol 1.)

Label: Paper Label Records

Website: http://www.edddonovan.co.uk/

Release Date: 3rd June 2016

I don’t often venture into Americana I regret to inform. 


There are some of the old tracks that get the mind going and capture a time and place though, so now and then I will pop my head in and see what is happening when Twitter shows me an interesting video or an artist has does something else with the genre to get my attention; and those are the times I wish I listened to a bit more. Edd Donovan goes a long way to prove this notion to myself as he takes indie-folk and Americana and makes it his own. I had not heard of the artist so I was intrigued to find out about him.



Edd Donovan is a singer-songwriter and this is Edd’s second album. His first album “Something to Take the Edge off” did make a splash, at least enough to allow him to tour quite a lot with the band and individually, and to be recognised by the The Guardian newspaper. A distinctive point in which he has been recognised and identified is by a fact that he shares with myself: we are both social workers. This piques my interest as in his day-to-day work I am presuming he sees and hears a lot of interesting things (like I do myself) and this throws down the gauntlet to Edd to see how these things are worked into his album, and whether he has found a clever way to use these unique and often precious observations of people; it is these things after all that will set him and his band apart from other stuff that is out there. “Making Mountains” does actually paint a wide-range of experiences into it’s construction which can be owed to Edd inhabiting the mindspace of people in love, people in search of meaning and people grieving. As a collection of songs there is a feeling of a first-hand account of these details that has helped to layer the album with a kind of spirituality that is rooted in it’s acoustic warmth.


I have heard of artists (and other Eds) who circle the chart scene while it has it’s on-off relationship with acoustic music, and some can make an excellent living from it but I get turned off by some pop-acoustic music that is separated from history, social justice or personal feeling that is anything different to the search for teenage identity. For me this could be the quality of writing or it could just be that I’m getting old and not requiring young men to describe my feelings of angst and love anymore. “Making Mountains” isn’t this kind of disc making this kind of advice. It is youthful, but youthful in a wise way, capturing a young mindset within an older body, perhaps one which is more succinct at describing it’s feelings from the passage of time while not missing it’s initial, budding charm. It’s energetic in a ginger ale drink way, the vocals are light like bubbles crackling and moving through a sharper liquid of emotive constructed lyrics. There are a number of tracks on the album that illustrate this quite well, but the joy in Donovan and band is that when you become comfortable with some of their sounds, they will turn the whole thing on it’s head and graciously surprise.


Tracks


“Dog’s don’t bite” is a spring-stepped start to the album. It has some persistent and solid drumming and a lightly haunting violin which adds a bittersweet companion to Edd’s affective, gliding vocals, “I want to go where the dogs don’t bite”. It builds up nicely and manages to wind a thread of joy and desperation into a track that takes the listener to the late Summer of a relationship. The subject seems to want to be with their significant other while the shadow of rejection creeps over the sun, “I’ve got nothing better to do than wait for you.” Later on, “Who will Show Us” likewise muses on the moment, wondering what is in it and what is just around the corner. It is the most galloping of tracks with a person who is waiting, possibly on the cusp of something great but unsure what this current time is about, “I’m waiting for something to happen.. I spend all my time smiling and laughing.” It is almost existential as the singer searches for meanings in the gestures and the possibilities in free choice, and is a highly melodic addition to the album.


“Talking Jesus” has a fresh, chiming vocal harmony backed by a poetic, soulful set of lyrics that sear in their originality, “my engine’s burning hotter than a heart attack.” It also quite visceral in it’s descriptions of “razor” blades and “cocaine” as it feels like it is describing a hedonism at it’s height like Jordan Belfort transplanted into the Americana of the Wild West. There is a mood of the singer seeking God and meaning within miles of dusty brutality, it is stirringly shocking and evocative. Much of the earlier tracks on the album are cited the most by media, but “Talking Jesus” for myself is the indicator of a tipping point towards the more interesting tracks on the album.



“Pink Belly” is a greatly rebellious track. I have up to this point characterised Edd Donovan as a mostly cheerful character, but with this track’s double bass, skulking guitar and almost prophesying voice we move to a more deconstructing and discontenting song,”the human race is failing and their systems don’t work.” The track has the character and feel of “One Step Beyond” and Madness, it is very two-tone and it’s appearance on the album is revealed suddenly and gleefully like the identity of Scooby Doo’s villain of the week. It is a major surprise on the album which speaks volumes of the artist’s versatility, and a firm favourite with myself.


In Review


Edd’s pellucid singing voice shines throughout bringing a deceptively idiosyncratic album into the mix which rather than sitting in it’s wicker chair of Americana prefers to perch on the edge, comfortable where it is but with it’s focus all around for inspiration. It is a characterful album which is quite distinctive in it’s phenomenological lyrics, song and instrumentation that blend into discrete experiences that reward re-listening. It is for this reason it has taken me a little while since release to begin to think about it’s intricacies and messages and in a good way, I think I’ll be at it a little while longer.


It is a nicely diverse album with some good composition, thoughtful songs, and accomplished musicianship that brings a lot to the table and leaves you sitting there fulfilled but wanting to know what all the ingredients are. 


It is certainly worth a look before Edd Donovan looks to the second volume and brings his lightness of touch and sincerity to a further work.


Check out a sample below:

 

Edd Donovan and the Wandering Moles are currently on their “Making Mountains” tour and has just been at Wychwood Festival. Details of upcoming festival appearances can be seen here, where you can also sign up for their newsletter. 


If you want to get their album, go straight to the bandcamp page here and support them directly.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews British Dark Folk European Folk Music Uncategorised

KARA – Some Other Shore – “a deep thematic album of tragedy and triumph” – review

Released June 2016


KARA return with another excellent album called “Some Other Shore” (their debut was also nautical sounding, “Waters So Deep”). The particularities that make the sound and ideas appealing can be boiled down into the three-part approach taken to their writing and recording of folk music. The first part is that their music is heavily thematic in that the lyrics are often worked and adapted from literature and tragic tales from England, Russia and beyond (in a similar vein to wonderful Emily Portman). The second part is that there is a spirited arrangement that uses instruments such as the dulcimer and melodeon that you might not always expect or hear when picking up some acoustic folk which makes it slightly unusual and dfferent. The heavy theme and instrumentation combine together to explain their third angle; a juxtaposition of dark emotion, fantasy and myth that give them an idiosyncratic but incredibly rich and dream-like sound.


On the album we have Daria Kulesh on lead vocals, Ben Honey (guitar), Phil Underwood (melodeon), and Kate Rouse (dulcimer, vocals). Produced and recorded by Jason Emberton (with some additional support from Phil Underwood and Lauren Deakin Davis) it has guest appearances from Lukas Drinkwater and James Delarre within the album which KARA have been promoting on their tour (there are still a couple of venues left, and more the be announced here). 



How is the album? Daria Kulesh’s voice is as expressive as ever as it pirouettes on a delicate higher register, the songs vary enormously in rhythm, optimism and tradition and the reach of the vision and image is very far indeed. It manages to be haunting, insightful, and fine balance between modern and old. As Daria Kulesh and KARA like themes, let us consider some of the songs next with some loose themes they could sit next to:


The Dancing Numbers


“Lovers’ Task/Black Tea Waltz” is both a reinterpretation and a dance. “Lovers” is a gracious, sensual and capable version of Scarborough Fair as collected by Cecil Sharpe though the band has cast a Russian spell upon it. Like seeing a creature of habit wearing a brand new coat, this telling of one the most well-known popular songs in folk consciousness is trying something different as it lists the slightly different, “setherwood, sale, rosemary, and thyme” as the trademark herbs. It works remarkably. It could be Kulesh’s precise, alpine and lingering lyrics; it could be Kate Rouse’s arrangement or (one of the keystones of KARA) the use of the hammered dulcimer, or it could be the fact that it never hold up. Like a young child dancing in spring it moves and jumps in exhibition without a care. In transition the track moves to the Black Tea Waltz where it becomes like an endless, yawing revolution of joy and light. It is constructed like a book, it opens and unfolds and sings to you throughout and is a great track for it.

Likewise Phil Underwood’s “Hollingbourne/Broadhurst Gardens” is a candidate for a new favourite tune to dance to. The melodeon jigs stirringly and the tracks are imbibed with the both the rural and urban elements of folk music. It seems to speak first of a story of mystery and pursuit (like clue searching in a Parisian hedge maze) before skipping to the amber lights of taverns in town serving a sea of foaming beer. A great original number and a track that should gain a following in the dancing communities.




Tragedy and Triumph


There is as always in KARA’s works a sense of characters and their experiences. Daria’s particular strengths as main vocalist are in her contrasting portrayals of women which are then bravely all added to a single album. Tragic or triumphant she has the range to bring the gloom or fury in equal measure. “Goodbye and Forgive Me” is an example of tragedy as a song of a woman in an unpleasant marriage who seeks the freedom of another man (which does not bode well), “Now this crime it was discovered, swift accusal and arrest, and in exile my false lover, took another to his breast.” The song is based on Nikola Leskov’s 19th Century book, “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk district” that inspired Daria during the recent successful “Company of Players” event celebrating Shakespeare. Interesting and sad in it’s deliberation it is a tremendous contrast to track 9. 

“Stormteller” is the fury to the previous song’s gloom. A pacy, onomatopoeic number it shows Daria Kulesh echoing the rhythm of the weather in song while she gallops through a speedy, relentless race. Throughout there is a sense of the storm and by the end of the track Daria has pretty much gone full shaman on us. Like Nostrodamus’ secret muse the song is as evocative as ever as it starts from a few quiet drops to a full blown melodic tempest as it builds. The guitar strums are not unlike a mariachi band as Daria applies her voice like the Western Mexico sun as she calls down the the elements, “I am of the black skies, I am of the hail, I am of the thunder, I am of the gale, I am a storyteller, it is them I control.” It’s sense of power is not unlike Sandy Denny’s “John the Gun” but more like Ange Hardy’s earthy Goddess tones of Bare Foot Folk’s “Mother Willow Tree”. A good track for nature lovers.



Traditional and Jazzy


KARAs’ folk music that is undeniable, especially as they do a fair share of recording of traditional numbers too. “Seaview” is one of the songs on the album that brings the shoreline of the title into view (and a delightfully fanciful album cover it is too) and speaks of that familiar, welcoming maybe imaginary place we go to. It is a light and chirpy song that flickers with a nostalgia for old times with family as children, the seaside and the briny air. Peaceful and thoughtful it can be considered along with the folk dance numbers as a familiar but good example of a lightly traditional number. In contrast “Devilry Dance”, the penultimate track is going to different seas and cities for it’s inspiration.

A folk album with surprises is a bright thing indeed, and when there is a swing number as part of that surprise, it positively shines. Don’t get me wrong, KARA are not the first band to experiment and include multiple genres on a disc and won’t be the last, but this is a good lyrical showcase amongst many on the others as it describes the ghastly dance in it’s commanding tones, “it has no rhythm in the normal sense, the steps are as long as they are wide.” It has New York cellar bars all over it proving that KARA rebelliously puts its feet in different countries and times and is not content with being the already well established English/Russian lovechild that it is.



Verdict

“Some other shore” is quite ruminating. It will appeal to trad-folk fans that is for certain, but it’s appeal goes beyond the nods of the heads it gives to the Waltzs and the knowing looks to songs about salty sailors and the trades of old. It is a prime example of expert synthesis of literary and emotional experience which is confidently playing with some alternative instrumentation that holds you in a magical gaze. More confident than the debut, and deeply magical to the ear; it is an accomplished work. 


Check it out, it won’t disappoint!


Album Title: Some Other Shore

Producer: Jason Emberton

Recorders and Engineers: Jason Emberton, Phil Underwood, Lauren Deakin Davies

Mastered at: The Green Room


Track 1: Tamara’s Wedding

Track 2: Seaview

Track 3: Lovers’ Tasks/Black Tea Waltz

Track 4: Goodbye and Forgive Me

Track 5: Adrienne

Track 6: Hollingbourne/Broadhurst Gardens

Track 7: Misery and Vodka

Track 8: Carousel Waltz

Track 9: Stormteller

Track 10: Leigh Fishermen

Track 11: Devilry Dance

Track 12: Ataman


The album is available from KARA’s website directly here for £10.

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