Reviews
Artist: Pilgrims' Way
Album: Wayside Courtesies
Label: Fellside
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.pilgrims-way.net
Following on from their well received, self titled EP and in the midst of what looks like a hectic festival season, flame haired trio, have signed to Fellside and it's from there that they release their debut album, "Wayside Courtesies".
The album is predominantly drawn from the English folk tradition, picking up on both good story songs and dance tunes and where the song can be attributed, such as the track that gave the band their name, "A Pilgrim's Way" by Rudyard Kipling, it's as near the tradition as to make no difference. It has to be said that they've chosen a cracking set of songs, English to the core, with easy flowing movement though out.
They capture a naturalistic almost live feel, using the voice as an instrument to carry the melody on a number of songs. It's worth mentioning the instrumentation, amongst the fiddle and mandolin(Tom Kitching), guitar, bass, melodeons and concertinas(Edwin Beasant) can be found the shurti and jews harp(Lucy Wright), the latter of which being very rarely heard these days. Whilst not being the most versatile of instruments, it does make a change from more conventional percussion.
Lucy Wright, has a voice that sounds like it has been specially crafted for folk, clear and sharp, more than capable of cutting you to the quick. It's quite a weapon, when there's anger in a song it almost feels like there is a viper in the room ready to lash out with a killer strike at almost any point. It's hard to believe that it's the same voice delivering the sweetness and light later in the same song.
This is a mainly traditional album so there's a body count to be had, along with illicit love and a surprising amount of cross dressing. One song I found to be a particular delight was the opening track, "Only A Soldier" which shows that soldiers can be the gallant gent in folk songs, not just philandering rogues.
Later in the album one of the cross dressing songs, "Tarry Trousers" also manages to cast sailors in a similar good light, especially when being measured against tailors, a group that never seems to come out well in folk songs.
Pilgrims' Way also include some of the early tales of the moves to factories and industrialisation and jobs one and lost. All in all its a cracking album and one that fully explains Pilgrims' Way and the comparatively meteoric rise they've had on the scene.
"Wayside Courtesies" joins a growing canon of works that are firmly re-establishing the English folk tradition and getting it the recognition it deserves, a great advert for band and genre.
Neil King