Beardy Folk Festival - Hopton Wafers, Shropshire. Saturday 19th September 2020

In the not so long ago halcyon days of gig reviews, this piece would have hit the blog in the tailwind of the event ending, but this is 2020 and things are turning out a little different. When you have no idea when your next live music event is, there is really no need to rush, and letting this reflection brew for a week or so as allowed some of the thoughts to formulate. To set things straight from the start, Beardy Folk staged a full three day festival starting at noon on Friday running through to the end of proceedings on Sunday evening. No doubt there will be other publications reviewing the duration of the festival, but this one covers just the Saturday to replicate a trend of attending the solitary middle day of the first two stagings in 2018 and 2019. 

Of course the festival season has been totally obliterated by the pandemic with Beardy Folk being the only one recalled in attempting and pulling off a three day multi artist presentation. Even in the final days leading up to the event, breaths were often held as to whether there was going to be a fatal twist and condemn all the hard work to the great bonfire of 2020. However fortune finally favoured the brave and the event in all its stripped back measures conquered the mass decimation to provide a beacon of live music. The ultimate credit the organisers can be paid is that all necessary adaptions were done in a subtle manner as not to distract from the prime enjoyment of listening to artists play their music live; not something we have been able to say since mid-March. 

From an attendee's perspective, the main visual measure was the reduced capacity and social distancing policy. The space afforded by the Hopton Wafers site and the compliant nature of the folk fraternity aided this key feature, although you can never underestimate the legal hoops the organisers needed to jump through to satisfy the authorities. Having attended this fledgling festival in its first two years where the capacity hasn't really been tested, there was remarkably little difference in the feel of the event, bar the decision to re-locate the main stage from outside the walled garden. This probably allowed for greater flexibility in marking out the bubbles to enable folks to choose whether to place their chairs in singles, pairs or smallish groups. 

Ok, there was no mass gatherings in front of the stage, but this doesn't really define Beardy Folk and I'm pretty sure the artists felt the crowd love and affection even from a short safe distance. Everything else was largely similar such as a seamless array of music from both stages and an orderly movement between  them for those wishing to absorb the non-stop offering. Indeed the precision timing was immaculate with each set starting and running to the almost-exact minute, and the festival itself showing vast improvements since the delay to Skerryvore's first headline slot in 2018. 

A dual effect of Beardy Folk was that in a majority of cases both audience and artist were getting their first taste of live music for nigh on six months. What gigs have been out there are far and few between, and this appears to be likely the case in the foreseeable future. Perhaps the gratitude came most from the stage as artist and upon artist expressed an immense pleasure to be playing live again, many who have had a large chunk of their income streams cut off since March. 

It may seem a little weird not to have mentioned a single artist so far, but to be fair with those booked, Beardy Folk in 2020 was as much about the staging as to who was scheduled. Needless to say, the bill was in line with what the event put on in the first two years. A solid cross section of folk styles from the solo singer-songwriter to the full band, alongside many songs pleasing those both those from a traditional and contemporary bias. The event has drawn artists entirely from the UK in the past and thus travel restrictions had no impact to what audiences experienced in previous years.

One cautionary caveat is that staging festivals in rural outposts in the third week of September does invite chilly evenings even if like this year we were blessed with blissfully sunny days until the golden ball in the sky took its early autumn dip. Wrapping up overcame that little obstacle and it was a very small price to pay for actually seeing not just live music, but a full day packed with thirteen decent length performances spanning over eleven hours.

Moving onto the acts which defined the Saturday at Beardy Folk, the starting point from a personal view has to be the 8 o'clock main stage performance from Luke Jackson. Despite having followed his career for several years this was the first time seeing the Luke Jackson Trio and the effect of adding drums, electric bass and a fuller sound to the outstanding voice was immense. The results took his performance to another level in both how the songs are presented and how Luke himself plays off the accompaniment. This was on the back of seeing him play solo earlier in the year and a clear reminder of how he is blossoming as a performer. Another positive was the enthusiastic reaction from a larger gathering than usually greets his trips to the Midlands and hasten to say the queue at the merch table was longer in number than many of his previous gig audiences in the area. 

Luke Jackson Trio

It was interesting to catch up with two other main stage acts who have crossed my path several times in the past. Cardboard Fox, of whom one half is the previously monikered Carrivick Sisters, brought a little transatlantic tinge to the festival with a style heavily leaning towards bluegrass. A similar assertion can apply to the Goat Roper Rodeo Band who bring their sounds direct from some cosmic honky tonk in the middle of nowhere.These artists may be strictly South West and North Wales, but there is certainly one ear in distant shores. 

On the topic of Wales, but in an entirely different stratosphere, Calan were the band elected to the role of Saturday night main stage headliner and left no member of the audience in doubt that they were in the esteemed presence of one of the most eminent purveyors of Welsh cultural heritage. It didn't matter where you stood with the Welsh language and the folk music of a land stretching from the valleys of the south through the mountains of the mid-reach to the parallel coastline of the north, Calan through their thrilling music, bi-lingual presence and enchanting tales, warmed the souls of the hardy audience and moved the border of their homeland a little closer. Not that it was too far anyway from south Shropshire. 

Calan

The second, or marquee, stage also changed location for this year and positioned itself inside the walled garden just in front of where the main stage used to be. Luckily the blessed weather was kind to its open setting and like last year, the schedule was full of lesser known artists, though in some cases may be soon to-be-discovered. The pick from this stage came right at the very start with Warwickshire-based folk singer-songwriter Ellie Gowers impressing most with several engaging stories attached to a string of exceedingly good songs. Definitely one to watch when the wider scene eventually moves out of this dark period and into a world where live streams are secondary to the up close and personal.

Ellie Gowers

Just to reiterate, there was a full packed three day schedule at Beardy Folk and I'm sure folks attending just one day or the entirety of the event had their own personal highlights. There may even be some who just awarded the event itself and the organisers as the winner. In turn the powers that be may hail those folks willing to back an event when all else was falling down as the true heroes. Ultimately in the grim musical year of 2020, there was a shining light and for that we must be grateful. 

Beardy Folk No.4 is set to return to its usual mid-summer slot in 2021. Fingers are crossed that the event jumped high enough through the viability hoop this year to aid the continual establishment of a festival that makes the most of its beautiful location in a highly professional and organised way. 

This was the beginning and the end of outdoors music in 2020. Who knows whether it is the end of live 2020 music full stop. Socially distanced gigs are cropping up, but finding them in your practical realm is trickier. If it does prove the swan song, then Beardy Folk served all parties proudly. 

Album Review: Kris Delmhorst - Long Day in the Milky Way

www.krisdelmhorst.com

The latest album by American songwriter Kris Delmhorst has been subject to multiple release dates in different markets; a situation increasingly blurred by digital availability and promotion, perhaps more so in the current climate where artists cannot coincide a release by travelling overseas to play shows to further promote the record. Whatever has been starting point for LONG DAY IN THE MILKY WAY the finishing post is always the same as this album is a winner from first play to the latest spin. The twelve tracks weave a spell of poetic artistry as every nook and cranny twists and turns with literary gems. True the listener gets worked, but the rewards plant the art of song writing on a supreme pedestal that is deserved, if not always appreciated. 

The work of Kris Delmhorst is very reminiscent to that of Danny Schmidt in my book, albeit he lives in Texas, while she is a stalwart of the writing scene in America's far North-East. Trawl through the lyrics of both artists and you detect subtle patterns, chorus teasers alongside seismic hooks and diversions. The song structures are fascinating and you never lose sight that this album leads rather than follows a formulaic trait. 

Of course Delmhorst is no novice and has a string of recordings stretching back over twenty years. It certainly helps when a sultry warm and reassuring vocal style delivers the songs. The package creates a magical and mystical experience, one that doesn't quite fit into any compartmentalised genre, although folk and the rather simplistic singer-songwriter spring up as closest matches. 

I suppose all songwriters tend to respect their forebears and on this album Delmhorst opted to slot in a Ricky Lee Jones cover in 'The Horse', although there is a seamless flow throughout the forty-three minute listening time. 

LONG DAY IN THE MILKY WAY, incidentally a line early in the opening track, is a prime example of seriously sophisticated songwriting of the highest order. The work of Kris Delmhorst toys with your intuition, but always meets an inquisitive listener halfway. It's class like this that makes you want to play a record many times over. Surely the biggest compliment an artist can get paid.

Album Review: Our Man in the Field - The Company of Strangers

 

www.ourmaninthefield.com

Our Man in the Field first crossed my path in the early part of lockdown when appearing in one of the Green Note's twice weekly writer-in-the round streams. How could you forget a name like that? Or perhaps one of the first rules of promotion. You tend to get a feel for an artist in these streams without fully grasping the mettle of what they can do in full recorded flow. A few months later and Our Man in the Field is the proud owner of a full length debut record, primed for a wholesome share with listeners likely to reside in refined markets. THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS gently unwraps from its packaging as a mellow waft of homespun Americana fuelled by a duel combo of hazy vocals and haunting pedal steel. 

The eleven tracks, meticulously curated by Alexander Ellis - Our Man in the Field in a more formal setting, gracefully paint a landscape for consumption in life's quieter moments where you're quite happy to fall into a transfixed zone. Don't expect this album to race through the gears, it quickly finds 2nd and decides that's the place it's largely going to stay. If you are feeling a little tired of Covid cliches, you may want to steer clear of the track 'It is What it is', but on the other hand, don't dismiss it from the title as it's one of the album's standout tracks. Also to give Ellis a break, its origins likely date back a long time before the events of 2020 took stranglehold.

One name jumping out from those assisting Ellis is legendary pedal steel player Henry Senior Jr, the mastermind of the ironing board of love. If you've been there, you will know. Apart from being framed for a defined audience likely to be left of the core on many fronts, it is perhaps the twang which gives the music a necessary nudge and affords a space for Ellis to plant the seeds of a wholly introverted style. One that will resonate deeply with listeners. Our Man in the field has unleashed a little grower in THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS. Some will instantly shout from the rooftops, others will get there in their own good time.

credits

Album Review: Victoria Bailey - Jesus, Red Wine & Patsy Cline

www.victoriabaileymusic.com

Every so often an album comes along to make a stake of being pivotal to the revival of traditional country music. Not that this style particular needs a revival as many know it bubbles away in pockets right across the English speaking world and further afield. Yet there is no harm in pinning great accolades to a record that may or may not project the world of traditional leaning country music in more than just a retrospective direction. The chances of  Victoria Bailey proving a beacon for 2020 are a likely long shot in the wider world, but for those endearing listeners longing for an iconic moment then JESUS, RED WINE & PATSY CLINE could just be your medicine.

From a wishful cover drenched in nostalgia to a title proving as explicit as a West Coast tremor, you are well on the way to understanding the music of Victoria Bailey. Trawl through song titles reciting staple vocabulary such as honky tonk, ramblin' (don't forget the countrified omissive apostrophe), dime, outlaws and Tennessee, and you get a little warmer to the fiery core of a release re-defining the term authentic. 

You've got the imagery, the buzz words and anticipation, now just one thing left and to wrap your ears around 35 minutes of pure country gold. Everything you desire is neatly packaged from the holy triumverate of fiddle, steel and heartbreak to songs about drinking, travelling and the wrong side of the tracks where they know how to play the right music. Bailey proves that she is no mean writer in taking the sole credit for eight of the nine tracks, leaving room for a solitary cover courtesy of a Johnny Cash recording and an interesting choice in 'Tennessee' from his posthumously released album OUT AMONG THE STARS. 

Putting the earlier West Coast analogy in context, Bailey hails from Los Angeles, a city long known for rivalling the southern states in the realm of traditional country music and she doesn't hold back on extolling the virtues of her state's standing. Album opener 'Honky Tonk Woman' uncorks the fizz and every sinew of Bailey's effort bathes in champagne moments. JESUS, RED WINE & PATSY CLINE is one album title folks won't forget and neither will the music of Victoria Bailey once waded through its nostalgic mist. 

Can't see this on Bandcamp, but you digital eagles across the world will track it down. Happy hunting. 

Album Release: Rich Krueger - The Troth Sessions

 

www.richkrueger.com

Album Review: Ben Bedford - Portraits

www.benbedford.com

The name Ben Bedford first crossed my path a couple of years ago with the release of THE HERMIT’S SPYGLASS. Unfortunately, focus elsewhere at the time denied this particular album a general look in and thus the attention probably required to give it justice. The landscape is now a little kinder for the next Ben Bedford release, which is a handy compendium of previously recorded tracks from three of his now fairly distant older albums spanning the period 2007 to 2012. Twelve tracks are packaged into the acutely titled PORTRAITS, an ideal name for a songwriter framing each song as though you are gazing at its delights in some form of musical gallery.  

The merits of an original songwriter re-hashing older material can be debated, but it is an undeniable viewpoint that Bedford has chosen some fascinating compositions that actually act as a showcase for new observers to get a flavour of what he is about. A little research reveals Bedford as an acclaimed operator that probably won’t surprise a listener after a couple of spins around his narrative intuition. This is a folk singer in the storytelling tradition, not necessarily steeped in re-interpreting the past but heaven sent to use their own song writing skills to propel events, observations and recounts into the future.  

The songs of Bed Bedford reach the listener in a peaceful and thoughtful state, crafted with musical guile largely in acoustic mode and sung with a sense of calming elegance. Bedford is highly astute at paving the way for the message of his songs to infuse and settle. Whether delving into personal tales from the Civil War in ‘Lincoln’s Man’ and ‘Twenty-One’, celebrating the pioneering achievement of Amelia Earhart in ‘Amelia’, to raising the plight of those committed to better the lives of themselves and others in ‘Migrant Mother’, a placid listening zone is filled with emotive musings. These probably reach a peak in ‘Land of the Shadows (For Emmett Till)’ with a classic take on one of American history’s most infamous moments.  

These five and the other seven songs are lifted almost but not quite equally from the trio releases of LINCOLN’S MAN (2007), LAND OF THE SHADOWS (2009) and WHAT WE LOST (2012). Most of the tunes are lightly strummed with occasional upbeat moments as briefly experienced in ‘The Sangamon’ and the album closing piece ‘Goodbye Jack’.  

Use these few words as a key to unlock the treasure trove of facets and leads that form the entwined skilful song writing of Ben Bedford. It’s PORTRAITS all round from album cover to each of the potential masterpieces waiting to be gazed upon. Now with this introduction out of the way, time to devote ear time to that 2018 release mentioned in the opening paragraph, and, yes, the three ‘tributary’ albums that supplied the luscious waters of this newly released collection.  

Album Review: Joshua Burnell - Flowers Where the Horses Sleep

www.joshuaburnell.co.uk

Catch Joshua Burnell at a festival and your interest is likely to be aroused by a memorable performance of folk music successful at bridging the gap between the staunchly traditional and the progressively endearing. This happened to me at the inaugural Beardy Folk Festival in 2018 with his distinguished shades and rampant keyboard led cheerleading parading the band through an exciting and enterprising set. Although Burnell has a few albums behind him, mainly exploring and re-interpreting traditional songs, the release of a brand-new collection of original songs has the potential to lift him out of a perceived promising category and into one of fully fledged leading folk-light. FLOWERS WHERE THE HORSE SLEEP is a primely packaged set of ten largely formula-free folk songs blending fine arrangement and a lauded stab of putting an enterprising slant on proceedings. 

Largely formula-free was a designed comment in lieu of two tracks which put a huge footprint of what you would expect from a record aimed at the core of a genre. The stomping folk piece ‘The Ballad of Mark Jeffrey’ has all the hallmarks of a Seth Lakeman structured number, while ‘Joan of the Greenwood’ is ‘trad all over’ to thrill purists with tales of young maidens et al. How the specialist folk fraternity match up Joshual Burnell will likely be revealed in due course, yet there may be mileage in expanding appeal to the margins and how casual observers respond to this record.  

Two tracks that prompted curious interest were ‘Invisible Wings’ and ‘Outside’, the former one of the mellower offering, while the second shrouded in mystique and intrigue. Album opener ‘Labels’ is a decent lead off track, and whether or not intended by the writer, the line ‘throw your labels away’ always surmises the constricts of genre. Two of the album’s contributors which leave a favourable impression are the fiddle of well-known musician Katriona Gilmore and the co-vocals of Frances Sladen, who regular works with Burnell.  

The slightly symphonic ‘Le Fay’ is the chosen track for promotion and is a lively experimental number mixing in several factors including spouts of electronica and guitar rock snippets. Elsewhere the pop-style alt-folk effort ‘Run with Me’ and the unique piano-led piece ‘Let Me Fall Down’ hold court at the heart of the record. In fact, piano is the defining input into the album’s ethereal finale with the ballad ‘Two Stars’.  

It is suspected that tightly knit folk friendly circles will heap earned praise on FLOWERS WHERE THE HORSE SLEEPS. What makes this album more rounded is that its appeal expands to the margins and whether that is the intention of Joshua Burnell or not, it will help him evolve as a versatile and progressively adaptable musical performer.