Reviews
Andrews Massey Duo Album: From The Roots...New Branches
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 13
Website: https://www.andrewsmasseyduo.com/
What to say about the Andrews Massey duo and their 2025 album FROM THE ROOTS NEW BRANCHES. Royal Academy graduates Emily Andrews and David Massey, who have been playing together since 2009 are both considerable musicians, displaying that understated fluidity where the music just flows. With a duo sound that sits somewhere between classical chamber music and John Renbourn's more stately English music of the 1960s and 1980s, their blend of predominantly guitar and flutes is just a complete delight. "Dribbles Of Brandy" is a swinging take on a tune that the pair discovered in Thomas Hardy's collection of folk music. Emily plays tin whistle, flute and piccolo, fully exploring the tune alongside David's haunting guitar. Its a compelling and vivid opener that stands many re-listens. "Skye Boat Song" as an instrumental allows you to fully on the wonderful flute melody which is then picked up by Massey's guitar. The duo say 'with flutes and guitars, the words are lost, but we have tried to retain their meaning in the textures and atmosphere of the music, conjuring the spirit of the words.' Their version of "Cam Ye O'er Frae France" delivers that sense perfectly, with rhythms tapped on a banjo generating military marching drums for this angry song. Emily plays an eerie fife or piccolo and flute over David's atmospheric banjo.
Andrews Massey explore "Dance To Your Daddy" playing it first in a minor key so that the major key version when it arrives brings a smile. The love song "A Red Red Rose" is beautiful, fragile and tender with both guitars and flutes pulling at your heart strings. "Molly Malone" and "Earlt One Morning" are more instantly recognisable folk memory tunes, with both musicians delivering all of the emotion of the lyrics in their playing. David manages to create the distinctive drone of the pipes on his guitar on "Loch Lomond". Also noteworthy are his and Emily's solo playing of the melody which rather hauntingly open and close the track. After the stark "Loch Lomond", "Bold Grenadier" is layered and atmospheric, nodding to Spanish guitar music and the exotic breathiness of the Japanese bamboo flute. "Wayfaring Stranger" originally an English tune is widely known as an American gospel spiritual. David's steel string guitar brings the pulse of early blues and gospel while both him and Emily fly with the uplifting melody. "Caller Herrin'" like "Wayfaring Stranger" is a longer track where the duo fully explore the tune, taking it in turns to carry the melody, finishing up gently dancing together. "Drunken Sailor / Wellerman" is a more spirited romp through folk memory and a more contemporary iteration of a nautical themed song. Stunning banjo and flute playing. "Blow The Wind Southerly" keeps the skipping tempo going as guitar and flutes dance together on a lively but stately version of the english tune.
If you have been following the Andrews Massey Duo through their earlier three albums, then you will have twigged that FROM THE ROOTS NEW BRANCHES, is a revisit or reimagining of FROM THE ROOTS, the duo's 2013 debut release. There are five new additional pieces alongside the re-recorded original eight. If you do go down the rabbit hole of comparing versions, then 2025 Andrews Massey sounds bigger and lusher and more expansive than the 2013 EP. The impeccably recorded album cover packaging nods to the earlier cover and you get Cassy Oliphant's illustrations and great sleeve notes expanding on a strong instrumental duets album.
Marc Higgins
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