David Thomas Broughton's disarming yet distinctive voice is one that has often been compared to Antony Hegarty, albeit with a doleful Yorkshire accent.
While you could easily imagine Broughton performing music hall numbers, his dry, dulcet Northern tones guarantee that any humorous qualities would come in fifty shades of black.
Occasional beat boxing, acoustic guitar loops, whistling and handclaps give added texture to the ten songs on this fine album but it is the vibrant backing of the Juice Vocal Ensemble that adds the freshest elements to his sound.
This female trio comprises Anna Snow (soprano), Sarah Dacey (soprano) and Kerry Andrew (alto). Their own a cappella recordings draw upon jazz, folk, pop and classical influences and have been featured on Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Classic FM. Their live repertoire even includes a cover of Gun'N'Roses' Sweet Child Of Mine.
The trio's experimental pick'n'mix musical philosophy is very much in tune with the eccentric talents of Broughton.
The single, and opening track, In Service illustrates how well the four-way blend of voices works. This song is described by Broughton as an account of the "conflicted way we look at war" and tells the story of a soldier who killed men on the battlefield but, with heavy irony, is now awaiting the death penalty for killing a man in a drunken brawl.
The effects of heavy drinking can also to be found on Unshaven Boozer where Broughton manages to find tenderness and romance in the unlikely form of an out of work manual worker with "strong arms and fists like boulders".
Lyricism and loutishness also figure in The Promise. Here, a rich choral sensitivity is evoked through poetic images of nature yet the song ends with a promise/threat to "glass every one of you pricks in this bar".
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Broughton's vocal range is such that he is able to switch effortlessly from tough to tender through lyrics which constantly dwell upon the paradoxes of the modern world.
Few male performers would get away with a line like "I ache like a poor old maid" (A Man To Call My Own) but with his sorrowful delivery he brings a genuine sense of pathos to such words.
David Thomas Broughton is generally branded as a folk musician but his strangeness and versatility is such that he defies such easy pigeon holing. There's a depth here that you will not find in artists in thrall to the conventions of tradition.
One minute he's "sodden from the dew" from the Yorkshire Fog, the next his heart is "lifted by blossom through emerging leaves" (The Promise).
The unorthodox qualities of this album mean that it may take time to tune in to the tonal and emotional mood swings but the rewards of patient and repeated listening are great.
David Thomas Broughton's website
Juice Vocal Ensemble's website
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