The rare talent of Hannah Rarity came to the fore in these quarters last year among an array of likeminded contemporary performers that decorated a changing gig landscape. Her show at the Edinburgh Fringe previewed an artist possessing all the attributes to move freely in the circles of established performers such as Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Siobhan Miller and Jenny Sturgeon. This rare talent talent now takes a major leap forward with the release of a second full length album. TO HAVE YOU NEAR is a packed template of many folk factions that make this Glasgow-based and highly rated singer-songwriter tick. Starting right in the heart of her homeland, tentacles spread first across the Irish Sea before crossing the Atlantic. All in a Celtic whirl of music set to beguile and soothe an eager listener.
This ten-track follow up to 2018's NEATH THE GLOAMING STAR reveals a multi-facetted hybrid artist comfortable in easing between traditional and contemporary styles. Rarity has branched off in several directions to source the content for the new album. The result is an enticing mixture of solo and co-written originals rubbing shoulders with smart covers, a commission and an arrangement of a hugely popular old time American tune. You don't have to search far for versions of the latter, but this Scottish brogue sprinkled cut of 'Hard Times Come Again No More' settles in a cosy niche that juxtaposes Dylan, Dolly and Springsteen.
Staying across the pond sees Tom Waites' 'Take it With Me' get the Hannah Rarity treatment alongside in-demand Scottish musician Innes White who handles the production. Another fine song hitching a ride to new pastures. The second of the four contemporary covers brings the overseas influence closer to home as we dip into the rich well of County Clare-raised singer-songwriter Gerry O'Brierne with a fine version of 'Shades of Gloria'.
Back on home soil and there is no denying that 'Scotland Yet' yields much thought provoking activity. The version here shimmers with the glacial vocals of Hannah Rarity and if you want to view the song from a different perspective see how the chorus line 'whatever yet may be' can relate to your own world. Closing the cover quartet, and also the album itself, is a haunting version of 'Comes the Hour'. A fragile song from Julie Matthews that suits the voice and demeanour of Hannah Rarity to a tee. The promotional video is a shade over two minutes of beautiful simplicity.
Highly popular and esteemed Scottish songwriter Boo Hewardine has an omnipresent role in the folk scene popping up here with the graceful song 'I'm Not Going Anywhere'. He also provides backing vocals to complement a voice that can blend a whispering hush with a pronounced regional tone.
The final four tracks under the microscope see Rarity sharpening her own songwriting skills with a quartet of originals split between solo and co-written status. Album opener 'Home', and one of the co-writes, breezes in a jazzy style and possesses a killer melody to hook in the listener from the off. There is a theatrical element to the way the songs are delivered and moments of this album are seemingly built for the stage. The other co-write is the imagination-inducing 'Kaleidoscope' with a sparse musical backdrop allowing the song to penetrate your senses.
It is fitting to leave an aspiring singer-songwriter's own material to the end. 'My Friend' appears early in the running order and is a sensitive take on the challenges of the last couple of years. A fertile area for songwriters and a composition here that once again benefits from an optimal production that proves spot on. The lyrics resonate and reveal a string to Hannah Rarity's bow that can grow alongside the obvious song interpretation. A piano introduction leads into the other solo write with the lyrics launching straight into the song title of ''She Must Be Mad'. This is one of the fuller produced tracks on the album with strings increasingly kicking in.
TO HAVE YOU NEAR is a classy album bearing the prime talents of an artist set to prosper significantly. Possessing such a distinguished record fuels an onward progression that should see the hinterland of Hannah Rarity expand. A welcoming audience south of the border will embrace the elegance and beauty of somebody already in the limelight of her own scene. Pioneering an album that moves a listener is a credible notch on a formative career.
