John Smith re-imagines his first 20 years with a little help from his friends.
To celebrate his 20th anniversary in music this year, singer-songwriter John Smith decided to revisit 10 songs from his earlier albums, in many cases calling upon fellow musicians to help in the cause. In Smith’s words: ““Gatherings” is a ten-song selection of audience favourites, revisited and reimagined, for all the people in the crowd who have stuck with me through the years; but also, an opportunity to show these songs to a new audience.”
“Gatherings” features guest appearances from Lisa Hannigan, The Staves, Siobhan Miller, and Dan Mangan (all on vocals), Adam Levy (guitar) and Nick Pini (bass). It was produced by Smith and mixed by Ryan Freeland (Bonnie Raitt, Aimee Mann, Joe Henry, Ray LaMontagne). Five of the ten songs featured here are drawn from “Great Lakes” (2013), while three are from debut “The Fox And The Monk” (2006), with the final two to be found on “Map Or Direction” (2009).
Many readers will be familiar with Smith’s work, having seen him in his own right or supporting artists ranging from John Martyn to Sarah Jarosz, the Milk Carton Kids, Patty Griffin, Joan Baez, as well as David Gray, Tom Jones and Jackson Browne. Martyn was one of the first artists Smith supported, and there are a few points on “Gatherings” where his influence is apparent.
Opener ‘Great Lakes’ is a rumination on love, with the lakes a metaphor for the depths of affection. There is a sweep to the accompaniment from a combination of the strings and The Staves’ harmonies. Next up, ‘A Long Way For A Woman’ has a folkier feel and some intimate guitar work from Levy.
The third song, ‘Freezing Winds Of Change’, features Miller’s vocal and excellent accompaniment from the team of John McCusker and Mike McGoldrick, whose contributions fill out the sound and add a distinct Celtic atmosphere to the song. ‘Something Terrible’, taken from Smith’s debut album, is evocative of Martyn both in terms of the acoustic guitar work and Smith’s vocal delivery. Levy’s melodic solo is an exercise in conciseness and service to the song.
Lisa Hannigan’s oo-oo’s introduce ‘Salty And Sweet’ is a gently sung duet about an interaction between a sea creature and the song’s narrator, a fishing girl. Hannigan also provides harmony vocals, along with The Staves, on ‘To Have So Many’, which rolls in some gentle horns, providing a touch of R&B – Memphis style – to the song.
‘Town To Town’ sees Smith singing of a transitory world and the stresses it places on love, while Levy’s acoustic slide guitar frames the song beautifully. The guitar work introducing ‘Another Country’ sounds vaguely familiar, and Smith’s vocal again recalls Martyn. A violin joining later, along with harmony vocals, adds to the emotional tug of the lyric.
Percussion and bass lead into ‘Winter’ and remain the song’s centre while Smith considers the natural world and a sense of wonder, drawing parallels with the ancient world. Smith wraps up his revisiting of his first decade with ‘Forever To The End’, which is funky in a manner reminiscent of Martyn’s more experimental instrumental side, with more than a hint of the blues. The beats are interesting, and the guitar work sounds looped. Dan Mangan adds vocals.
The concept of reimagining songs a decade in arrears is an interesting one, and the support provided by his contemporaries adds to the charm of this collection.
