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and the gospel-infused title track suggest a partnership evolving and developing at a rapid rate.
josienneclarke.co.uk
Energetic, urgent and sometimes even frenetic, the second album by David Gibb and Elly Lucas is another kettle of rhubarb alto- gether. With Gibb’s lively acoustic guitar and a real swing to the Lucas fiddle, their vibrant songs – often steeped in the social culture of their Derbyshire background – work hard to capture your attention with forthright lyrics, passionate performance and the appealing intimacy of Elly’s vocals. As such it all sounds agreeably bold – especially when they charge into overdrive on Jackwire, Waterloo John and England’s Skies – and there’s plenty to be admired about storyboards rooted in local history with an attitude to match; Gibb sav- ages characterless city redevelopment on A Place Called Home and Lucas offers a similarly fierce defence of the old rail industry on Wheel Tapper. A smattering of trad material – Dalmatian Cradle Song, Lovely Molly and the title track – is sensitively added to the equa- tion underlining their empathy with folk song, and whatever it lacks in subtlety is more than compensated by enthusiastic endeavour.
gibbandlucas.tumblr.com
Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin are dif- ferent again, reliant on an unusually tex- tured atmosphere that, while essentially English in source, is flavoured by a myriad of different styles and influences. You could almost imagine Hannah Martin’s rich natural vocal equally effective in settings as diverse as classical concert halls and smoky jazz joints. Henry, too, is a rare talent, playing Dobro and lap steel guitar with almost casual virtuosity; his accompaniment to Martin’s heartfelt delivery of Banks Of The Nile for one makes you listen anew to this hardy old veteran of the folk revival.
Together they create a sense of mystery that washes over you via thoughtfully evoca- tive material like Silbury Hill, Silver Box, Miss Willmott’s Ghost, Song For Caroline Herschel and Last Broadcast, movingly depicting the death of journalist Marie Colvin in Syria last year. All come intertwined with deft instru- mentals, along with The Nailmakers Strike, an enterprisingly constructed two-parter com- memorating an 1862 workers march in Bromsgove which, apart from some wonder- ful harmonica from Henry, manages an unlikely blend of a variant on the trad classic Poverty Knock with Declaration Of Rights, an old reggae protest song by The Abyssinians.
If there is a criticism to be made it’s that
the album’s a little too downbeat and one- paced to be truly gripping, but the depth of thought that’s clearly gone into the arrange- ments and songmaking process is to be laud- ed and, like the other two partnerships included here, they’ve irrefutably established their own style. That in itself is no mean achievement.
www.philliphenryandhannahmartin.co.uk Colin Irwin
TAMIKREST Chatma Glitterbeat GBCD007
Tamikrest’s third album, Chatma, is a riveting and beautiful record and a turning point for a band who have, until now, failed to fully define themselves. Whilst the Tamikrest sound doesn’t stand out dramatically among the many Tuareg bands and desert rockers, this record does stand out for quality. Perhaps it’s the fact that the band have been in exile since war broke out in Mali, or perhaps it’s the addition of new band members including former Tinariwen member Wonou Walet Sidati, but something has given Tamikrest renewed energy on Chatma.
A couple of pioneering radio shows, notably Cerys Matthews’ slot on Radio 6, have picked up on Tisnant An Chatma already and it is undoubtedly the standout track. Starting with atmospheric, overhead radio sounds, the song bursts into a powerful and compelling slice of Tuareg rock which, for me, is definitely the song of summer 2013. Whilst the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to Tisnant An Chatma, it is nevertheless a fine thing.
Elsewhere on the album Tamikrest lay down some softer sounds, equally evocative, as on the acoustic Adounia Tabard and closing track Timtar. Overall the album sounds like a band coming into their own and developing their sonic repertoire – well worth a listen.
www.tamikrest.net Liam Thompson
RY COODER & CORRIDOS FAMOSOS
Live in San Francisco Nonesuch B00E6887H0
Ryland P Cooder’s first full live album since the classic Showtime back in the mid 1970s has our man in concert from a couple of years ago at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall (where Showtime was also record- ed dontcha know) with a band that includes his son Joachim on drums, long-time vocal sparring partner Terry Evans, plus guest appearances from the great Flaco Jimenez and ten-piece Mexican brass ensemble La Banda Juvenil. Twelve career-spanning tracks, opening with his distinctive take on Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson’s Crazy ‘Bout An Automobile and including such old-time favourites as Boomer’s Story and Vigilante Man, along with a fine reading of the more recent El Corrido De Jesse James (the first Tex-Mex waltz to combine Wild West mythol- ogy with post-austerity retribution). The only new (well, new to Cooder as far as I know anyway) song is a spirited version of Sam The Sham’s Wooly Bully.
No, this isn’t an album of innovation, nor does it have the ‘ripped from the head- lines’ urgency of his recent politicised record- ings. What it does have is some fine playing from most involved (although I still find Cooder Junior’s drumming a little on the basic side) and a general air of joie de vivre. One for long term Cooder-philes I’d imagine, but I’ll bet there are a fair few of those read- ing this magazine.
www.nonesuch.com Jamie Renton BOBBY ‘BLUE’ BLAND
Angel In Anguish: The Deep Deep Soul of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland Fingertips Finger CD05
A timely release in the light of Bobby Bland’s demise in June this year. This compilation showcas- es Bland’s showstopping vocals on a host of A and B sides from the late ’50s and early ’60s plus all twelve tracks that made up Bland’s 1961 classic album Two Steps From The Blues. For these tracks Bobby was backed by an impressive six-piece horn section plus piano, bass and drums and the stunning guitar work of Wayne Bennett (who worked with a host of blues and jazz artists). Bland’s gospel-influ- enced, soul-drenched, blues-tinged vocals were at their peak during this period, wrenching the heart strings with a pleading ballad or bringing the rafters down with a powerhouse blues… and they don’t come much better than the much-covered Farther Up The Road. Elvis was a fan, Van Morrison too… and in 2008 Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall
Bobby Bland
recorded his album Tribute To Bobby and helped co-ordinate an excellent BBC docu- mentary on Bobby that was recently re- screened on BBC4 in tribute to the man.
This single CD boasts no fewer than 29 tracks (no duds!) compiled by Mojo maga- zine’s Dave Henderson who also contributes the concise booklet notes. If there’s one thing that compromises this otherwise excellent release it’s the minimal packaging and major difficulty in extracting the CD from its inner envelope. But it’s the music that counts and this music is both priceless and timeless. Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland was one of the all time greats. Celebrate his music with this CD!
www.fingertipsrecords.com Dave Peabody LALA NJAVA
Malagasy Blues Song Riverboat TUGCD1069
Lala was the lead singer of Malagasy family band Njava, who made a couple of well- received albums for EMI back in the 1990s. She also sang on a track with the ethno- techno abhorrence that was Deep Forest but we shouldn’t hold that against her because this, her first album this century as far as I can tell, is really very good. Ms Njava’s got a warm, throaty voice, more versatile than you’d first imagine and here, backed by fam- ily members Dozzy on guitar, Maxmin on bass and Pata (drums) she presents an unusual, modern take on acoustic music from Madagascar.
As the title would suggest, the blues is a big influence, but it’s a smooth (but never bland) variation thereof. This is a proper album, well programmed with shifting moods, from the punchy Pardon À l’Afrika to the spooky Hasorosa. The latter, one of three tracks to benefit from the presence of guest Malagasy accordeon master Regis Gizavo (has the man ever appeared on a bad album?). Hell, Lala even manages to take Sweet Lulla- by, the song she did with Deep Forest and fashion it into something sparse and lovely. Recorded in Belgium and Madagascar, this is another fine release from World Music Net- work subsidiary Riverboat and the return of a fine, and up until now at least, under-heard and underappreciated talent.
www.lalanjave.com Jamie Renton
Photo: Dave Peabody
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