There is both a dividing and unifying side to the aura
surrounding pioneering folk duo Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker. A tuned-in mind
of synchronised misery is helpful to buy into their ideals of music dealing
with one of life’s most profound emotions. However aligning your stars with
Josienne’s dry stage persona opens your mind to a mesmerising cavern of
alluring sentiment providing a dark wrapping for the intoxicating music that
immortalises moments in their musical company. On a more literal level, the
intrinsic delicacy of her diverse vocal acumen and the virtuoso optimised
guitar playing of Ben closes all doors of artistic detachment.
This evening Josienne and Ben were the weekly guests of the
Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath Birmingham and were afforded a couple of slots
edging into the overall hour and half realm to showcase the depth and psyche to
their music. The focal point of their time in the spotlight was the delights
unveiled from their upcoming new album OVERNIGHT ahead of its October 14th
release day. Maybe the pioneering statement made in the opening sentence is
reflected in their link up with the iconic record label Rough Trade for the new
record. This led to Josienne mischievously heralding the genre of corduroy punk.
On a more serious note, there is enormous exposure potential for the new record
and the duo will not disappoint fans old and new who like a touch of depth,
class and substantive intelligence to their music.
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| Dietrich Strause |
If the lure of catching Josienne and Ben live was not
sufficient enough, they brought along a supporting artist they recently hooked
with at the prestigious Folk Alliance gathering in Kansas City earlier this
year. Dietrich Strause left observers in little doubt as to his influences,
inspiration and style models. This was straight down the middle early sixties
American folk revival territory and for a near forty five minute stage time
allotted to him you could quite easily be watching a scene from the acclaimed cult
film Inside Llewyn Davies. The crux of the observation is that the highly
crafted Dietrich did this really well, matching a variety of acoustic guitar pieces
with strong vocals delivering the messages of his songs. He is a native of
Boston Massachusetts, an area renowned for its thriving folk scene, and the
architect of a brand new album HOW CRUEL THAT HUNGER BINDS that gets a formal
UK launch in November. In addition to supporting his buddies Josienne and Ben
on a number of dates, he has also landed the opening slot for Sarah Jarosz in
the UK soon, thus ample opportunities to engage with fans this side of the
pond. While boundaries may not be stretched, there is a distinguished
assuredness to how Dietrich presents his songs and there is little hesitation
in marking him as one to watch.
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| Ben Walker |
While it was previously stated that the music of Josienne
and Ben is unifying, there are two distinct strands to her vocal style. Some
folk fans will drool over the celestial neo classical moments when you have to
reach high to connect, while others are more drawn to the closer terra firma
feel that accompanies some of her songs. Repeat listens to the new album does reveal
these contrasts and more so live when she wanders into the song sphere of
Gillian Welch, Sandy Denny and Nick Drake. Throw in Nina Simone and Elgar
moments and echoes of a structured randomness emerge in the mix. One constant
though is the acute skilled picking of Ben who succeeds in matching the mood
perfectly with his accompaniment for each song. Occasionally a more prolonged
instrumental segment emerged and it would be no hardship if future compositions
headed more in this direction.
The keys to success for this evening were surrounded around
Josienne’s introduction to the new album and its conceptual origin. Subsequent
plays have proved compelling and it is sure to be lauded as one of the most
significant British folk releases of the year. Maybe in this age of national
re-alignment it is more pertinent to hail it as a triumph of English
sensibility. Literal words aside, the spiralling deluge of melancholic misery housing
an inner beauty best sums up the work of Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker. This
show revealed and tantalised so much leaving those of us in tune with this
artistic approach delightfully satisfied.
www.josienneandben.com
