This is an epic edition of Folk Roundup, so many great albums, we’re not sure yet who is going to pull themselves to the top of the heap as album of the month. And such variety – proper learning from singers and field gathering of song, traditional Irish folk, songs inspired by walking and touring along the Welsh coast path, and the recorded return of a legend from the Sixties. And more, actually a lot more. And now, read on.
With the latest release from C. Daniel Boling featuring Tom Paxton, we’re deep into a form of topical protest folk that reached its zenith of popularity in the mid-1960s. “It Matters” is the second album that Boling has co-written and performed with that legendary master of the form, Tom Paxton. Boling also performs in the current Limeliters trio, further emphasising the kind of folk that he performs. It’s straightforward – guitars or banjo and vocals and lyrics with a message. These are songs which use lyrical tricks to act as a figurative tap on the shoulder, a reassuring conspiratorial whisper of “this is what we’re like, right?” and a reminder that not everybody is selfish and greed-driven, at the very least, not all of the time. ‘Send The Old Men To Fight‘ mocks notions of the nobility of using violence to resolve issues, whilst ‘She’s A Witch‘ contrasts misogyny with the worship of lying strong men whose sins become merits – it’s set to an eerie clawhammer banjo accompaniment. There are other topics, of course, love and contrition and on ‘Hidey-Ho‘ Tom Paxton leads us through the joys of not being dead: “every day I wake up seems like a victory to me.” With Tom Paxton having finally retired from touring, it’s good to hear his voice and to know that he’s found a kindred spirit to write and record a new album with every 18 months or so – long may it continue as “It Matters” actually does. (8/10)
From the latest release from a folk living legend we move to the debut release from a new duo – Filkin’s Drift are Seth Bye (fiddle) and Chris Roberts (guitar, vocals) and their new album “Glan” was inspired by their epic 2023 foot-powered tour of the Wales Coast Path, which saw them walk 870 miles while performing 53 gigs in 58 days. Pretty impressive – and so is the music. There’s a gorgeously crisp sound to the guitar and fiddle on the Welsh language ‘Adar Mân y Mynydd‘ which evokes the timeless story of separated lovers using birds to send messages to each other. ‘Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn‘ is a more tragic traditional love story, with music that’s both hypnotic and lilting, with a splendid fiddle solo from Seth Bye. As well as songs, there are a number of tune sets – both new, such as ‘Clay, Nature and Us‘ which was influenced by the work of ceramicist Grant Sonnex and traditional, such as the Cotswold Morris tune from the village of Filkin, ‘My Pretty Little Highland Mary.‘ Whether old or new the playing is superb, the arrangements novel and the overall effect supremely pleasing. (7/10)
Superb and novel arrangements are also applicable to “Forefowk Mind Me” the third album from Scottish folk singer Quinie. And add in that there’s an element of being in the presence of someone who is in touch with the living core of the music – touching musical threads that resonate over hundreds of years. Sung in Scots, and in a style similar to that of Scottish Travellers singers ‘Forefowk’ is also an album that came from travelling through a landscape in a traditional manner – Quinie crossed Argyle on her horse as a way to open up different views of the landscape and people and through that to find a new perspective to bring to the traditional songs that make up “Forefowk Mind Me“. Quinie’s approach to the reinterpretation of traditional songs is perhaps best illustrated on ‘Health, Wealth aa yer days‘ which brings in ancient echoes and mixes this with what feels like an industrial concept of found percussion, and her voice on ‘The Seasons‘ veers between undoubted strength and teetering on the edge of cracking. It’s a reimaging that couldn’t be further in many ways from that other modern master Sam Lee, but at the same time shares a similar adherence to the truth of the music. Since it’s an album that people will be referencing for decades, it’s the Album of the Month. (8/10)
“The Pearl” is a new live album by Danú, a generous amount of music with one song or tune set for every one of the band’s thirty years. A statement of intent is made with opener ‘The Trip To Clarina / Ag Fileadh Abhaile‘ which would surely have confirmed any gig-goer that their money had been well spent on the ticket it is simply perfect traditional music, with every instrument taking it’s moment of prominence to drive forward the tunes at a pace that really should have them dancing in the aisles. There’s an emotional rollercoaster on the tune set ‘The Flight of the Earls of Ulster / Kitty O’Hea / The Leitrim Bucks‘, moving from the mournful to a heart-pumping jig and on to an exuberant fleet-footed reel. Ah, this is the stuff for sure.
As well as the tunes and the songs sung in Gaelic there are examples of modern songs given the Danú treatment – there’s a beautiful and moving version of Gene MacLellan’s ‘Snowbird‘ which will have anyone with a heart crying into their Guinness and there’s a slice of Irish whimsy on ‘Miss Fogerty’s Cake‘. (7/10)
If this folk roundup has a theme then that would be a strong sense of place, and the second album from Trip “In Terra’s Keep” follows that theme since it consists of new music, but music which was inspired by the landscapes of Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man — the different places the band members call home. Not uniquely, though, as the poignant ‘Blessed Are The Meek‘ is a Status Quo cover. The album’s literal centrepiece is the combined tunes ‘Pt. 1 Tune for Roan’ and ‘Pt. 2 An Ghrian ar Bhinn Ghulbain’ the first a nod to another band, this time Solas, whom were an early inspiration for Trip, and the second a flute led companion piece the title of which translates as ‘Sun on Benbulbin‘, a familiar sight for band member and composer of the reel Tiernan Courell. Across “In Terra’s Keep“, there’s a continually polished performance from Trip. ‘Sadness Passed‘ is a positive, bouncy and uplifting song with the observation that time is a great healer and sadness isn’t forever. The tune set ‘August Ascent / Laa Luanys (Isla Callister) / WD-50′, which closes the album, mixes a new tune with a traditional one and throws in a bit of the band’s playful sense of humour to close the set and the album. It’s a lively album, a good calling card for seeing them live, which would surely be an evening of pure enjoyment. (6/10)
And, finally, in every sense, Gavin Fairhall Lever, whose release ‘Tearing Down the Walls’ has actually been out for a while. Why the delay in the review? Well, you’ll laugh, a rare reviewer’s error was made and many listens were given to Gavin Fairhall Lever’s last, eponymous, debut album. Well worth the time. This London-based folk trio are James Patrick Gavin (fiddle, vocals), Tim Fairhall (double bass) and Adrian Lever (guitar, vocals, harmonium, piano), and their repertoire is a varied one. The earnest ‘Mama’s Here‘ lyrically brought to mind Barclay James Harvest, although musically it is as acoustic as it comes with booming double bass propping up searing fiddle. ‘Polkas‘ is a wide-ranging instrumental playing with the time signature of everyone’s favourite couple’s folk dance, whilst ‘Night Sky with Exit Wounds‘ is a contemplative composition. For the breadth of musicality on show, it’s a wonder that the whole album had its inception from a fortnight’s music-making in a tiny cottage by the sea in Sligo – must have been an intense fourteen days. Varied, and never less than intriguing. (6/10)
