Some albums wither and die probably only destined to
have a short shelf life. Alternatively, others possess longevity to benefit
from subsequent renewals. Kirsty Merryn’s SHE & I absolutely falls into the
latter category. Its conceptual uniqueness added a breath of fresh air to the
folk world, everlastingly sustained by a pristine execution. Twelve months on
from savouring the delights of the record upon release, there was a timely opportunity
to return to the album as Kirsty delivered its entirety on a current run of
live dates across the country.Although she is no stranger to playing shows in the Midlands area, this was Kirsty’s first visit to the Kitchen Garden, an ideal venue to capture the intricacy of the record. This solo presentation was a one off on the tour as partner Todd McDonald was unavailable for the evening. Having only previously seeing Kirsty on her own, it was a case of business as usual. The decision to split the evening between the whole album in set one and a mixed selection after the break worked well to set the framework for a splendid bout of entertainment.
Before Kirsty even steps into the spotlight, a classical
training background has supplied the credentials to score highly in the technical stakes.
While some singers thrive on an element of imperfection, Kirsty comfortably
airs a state of elegant vocal supremacy. Likewise her piano playing offers a
cultured backdrop. Maybe a little adrift from folk convention, but perfectly aligned
with her attributes.
The songs from SHE & I took the whole notion of gender
focussed song writing to a new level. The depth of the project is immense, and
fully warrants any extended praise afforded to it. For the uninitiated, the
album predominately draws on the inspiration from historical female heroes in a
variety of fields with Kirsty cementing their various places in the history
books in her own inimitable words.
Away from the album, and effectively the second half of this
show, Kirsty extended her repertoire with a selection of traditional songs and
additional ones of original origin. Versions of ‘The Outlandish Knight’ and ‘The
Banks of Sweet Primroses’ may go a long way to satisfying folk purists, but
the self-penned ‘Deep Wild Torrent’
was the pick of the post-break bunch. Older songs such as ‘Constantine’ and ‘Winter in
Ontario’ did have a previous existence on an earlier EP, while tunes like
the ‘Wedding Song’ and ‘The Wake’ may yet find their way into
recorded status.
The future for Kirsty Merryn is likely to be a new release mixing traditional and original tunes with timings heavily dependent on funding. Whether the intensity and uniqueness of SHE & I is matched will be judged in time, but one certainty is that the full bag of performing and writing credentials are set to prosper. Listening to Kirsty sing and play in a pin drop environment was not a bad way to spend a Tuesday evening, perhaps the perfect tonic to a long work day.
