The way in which Alasdair Roberts turns his unflinchingly steely gaze on human frailty explains why Rob Young, writing in Electric Eden, came to describe his songs as containing a "poetic diction....occasionally rising to bitter jeremiads worthy of a ranting Old Testament prophet".
On his fine new collection, this trait is best exemplified in Brother Seed, the darkest, and best of the ten original songs. It recounts the sad fate ('wyrd') of a young woman who has "lain with one too near in blood"; an act of incest that brings shame and despair on her and her family. The woman's mother grimly foretells the consequences: "And though I wish no ruin on you, child, still I know a ruin will come"
As with most of the songs, this been freely adapted from traditional tunes and illustrates the degree to which Roberts values the bitter truths and harsh wisdom contained in old folk songs.
Recently he spent a twelve-week residency at the Edinburgh University School of Scottish Studies Archives and the informative sleeve notes reveal the depth of research behind the songs.
Yet, while they may be the result of exhaustive scholarly work, these are not dusty or dull tales from the past. Roberts has the happy knack of being able to find a contemporary edge to give the historical sources a fresh and dynamic lease of life.
A 'cosmological' song, The Wheels Of The World, is a good example of this. Here, Roberts skilfully interweaves a melody from a song written by a Glaswegian policemen in the 1800s, a coda based on a traditional Irish song and a 'Conundrum' taken from a pipe march composed around 1930 by Highland piper, Peter Roderick Macleod Senior.
Similarly, Music Composed In December draws elements from all corners of the British Isles with instrumental breaks from an English Morris tune, a Scottish tune ('The Bluebell Piper') and closes with a rap in Welsh by Rafe Fitzpatrick.
Another aspect that enlivens these songs is the way Roberts makes use of evocative and vivid poetic language. This can be heard, for instance, in a 'phantasmagorical' song entitled The End Of Breeding, where he incorporates words like "catastrophists", "mendicants" and "calendrical amendments".
Roberts' 'friends' on the album are top rate musicians from Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. Rafe Fitzpatrick's fiddle playing is sublime and Ross Macrae on trombone adds a further dimension to the band's full sound. Vocals on six tracks come from pure-voiced English singer Olivia Chaney, a rising star on the British folk scene. She also plays harmonium on three songs.
|
One aspect I was less convinced by was the prominence given to the electric guitar which gives a Fairport Convention style folk-rock dimension not always in keeping with the rootsy mood. This is to take nothing against the quality of the musicianship of Ben Reynolds whose work with Trembling Bells and as a solo artist is second to none.
While themes of death and loss dominate the album, these are addressed with a combination of resilience and humour. As the title of the opening track - The Merry Wake - suggests, dying can be an excuse for a wild party and the notion of celebrating the dearly departed is revisited on Scandal And Trance which begins mournfully but ends joyfully thanks to a marching tune learnt from a recording of New Orleans trumpeter Ernest 'Doc' Paulin.
There is no question that Roberts is happiest when singing 'doleful dirges' and uncovering darker themes of injustice and/or mortal suffering. The Year of the Burning is about the Highland Clearances during the 18th and 19th century when many working class families were evicted from their homes.
Meanwhile, Gave The Green Blessing and Fusion of Horizons are two songs which cast a shadow over romantic illusions respectively warning against marrying in haste and likening love to a "mental harness".
The dour pessimism of such songs is undeniable but this only adds to the sense of authenticity. They only serve to illustrate why Alasdair Roberts so fully deserves his place at the forefront of the new British folk tradition.
Alasdair Roberts’ official website
Alasdair Roberts’ unofficial website
|
