Reviews roundup – Emily Smith vs. Joey Molland vs. Oysterband

Reviews roundup – Emily Smith vs. Joey Molland vs. Oysterband

EMILY SMITH
Echoes
White Fall 2014

We’re rather fond of Emily Smith round our way, so were delighted to find that her fifth album sees her returning to her roots with a revisit to some traditional fare. However, she’s brought in some big names to help her on the way, so alongside multi-instrumentalists Jamie McClennan and Matheu Watson, bassist Ross Hamilton and percussionist Signy Jakobsdottir, you’ll find the likes of Jerry Douglas, Aoife O’Donovan, Kris Drever, Tim Edey, Natalie Haas and Rory Butler adding their pixie dust.

Even though some of them are thousands of miles away from Dumfrieshire, the record never loses the sense of its innate Scotchness, and the little touches that the outsiders bring really do add to the enjoyment with the slide guitar on the opening ‘Reres Hill’ a prime example. Elsewhere, old favourites like ‘Twa Sisters’ and ‘My Darling Boy’ have been dusted down and rejigged rather nicely. Of the ‘newer’ songs, Archie Fisher’s ‘The Final Trawl’ and Bill Caddick’s ‘John O’ Dreams’ are real treats, with the latter one of the highlights of the album.

The arrangements are spot on, with the musicians all playing at the top of their game. And with Ms Smith in as good voice as ever, this is a real treat.

BUY AT AMAZON

JOEY MOLLAND
Return To Memphis
Gonzo 2013

Now I don’t know what a “Breaking Bad” is, but apparently the ill-fated Badfinger got a Journey-esque boost by having a tune placed in the final episode of the aforementioned programme. Whether any of them will know that Joey Molland was a founder member of the band is open to question, but at least this new album, “Return to Memphis”, his first new solo project in twelve years might get a extra wee boost.

Recorded in Memphis and was produced by Stax Records veteran Carl “Blue” Wise who has worked with artists from Eddie Floyd and Rufus Thomas to Bruce Springsteen, Molland says “The sound is very different … there’s no real Badfinger power chords or anything like that. No real jamming guitars … I do play some slide on it. I had four girls come in to sing ‘oohs and aahs’ and harmonies which was nice, and I played with a lot of three piece rhythm sections down in Memphis. So it’s a really simple sounding record and I’m just hoping that people will like it.”

Which is true. There’s not much here for Badfinger folk of yore. However, his take on classic rock meets Memphis soul does have its moments. You can tell he’s been a working musician (as he still tours with Joey Molland’s Badfinger), so there isn’t a feel of someone trying to remember how to do it, and on songs like ‘Walk Out In The Rain’, ‘Ship To Mars’ and the one standout track ‘Got A Feeling’, you can hear he still has something to offer.

His backup band are good enough, and even if his voice sometimes reflects his age, this is still worth a listen.

BUY AT AMAZON

OYSTERBAND
Diamonds On The Water
Navigator Records 2014

Now I know that Oysterband are legendary figures in the world of folk rock, but they’ve largely passed me by over the years. I did enjoy their “Ragged Kingdom” collaboration with June Tabor, so was pleased to get the chance to listen to their new “Diamonds On The Water” album, their first new collection of original songs in seven years. And it’s jolly good.

To be honest, I expected them to be a bit more in your face, but like all of us, they’re getting older, and this was a lot more melodic than I expected it to be. Right from the opening ‘A Clown’s Heart’, you can tell that these are people who put the song firmly at the centre of what they do, and like a lot of the songs here, it’s a tune that would stand out in any setting. Some of the hooks lodge instantly in your brain, and numbers like ‘No Ordinary Girl’ seem like old favourites from the first listen.

There are plenty of folk-pop gems, all offset by outstanding instrumentation, with songs like ‘A River Runs’, guaranteed crowd pleasers. It’s an absolute delight of an album and one that will have me exploring their back catalogue with enthusiastic glee.

BUY AT AMAZON