Reviews
Artist:Bird In The Belly Album: After The City
Label: GF*M
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.birdinthebelly.com
"Tragic Hearts Of Towns" is a punchy Folk Rock number, sonically its jangly guitars, electric violin and raw vocals recall Psych Folk early 70s Steeleye Span and 80s electric alt folk like the Levellers. It is a strident potent opener. AFTER THE CITY is a concept album, based on the writing of 19th century ecologist Richard Jefferies. After London or Wild England, published in 1885, is an early example of post apocalyptic fiction, detailing the rotting fall and rebirth of England through nature. It is a prescient and relevant tale. "Tragic Hearts Of Towns", based on the poem Glasgow by Alexander Smith, paints a grim lifeless picture of the Victorian urban existence.
The next four tracks, "Litany", "Jemmy Is Slain", "Famine Fever Frost" and Pale Horse" allow Bird In The Belly to create a back story of Plague, War, Famine and Death for Jeffries' story. Gentle guitar, violin and flute, recalling the most pastoral moments of Pentangle and 60s Denny era Fairport. Laura Ward and Ben 'Jinnwoo' Webb, individually and harmonising together are simply stunning vocalists, they could sing a cook book and it would sound sublime. There is extra weight and gravitas piled on through their delivery of these folk songs that build the narrative. The layering of their voices on "Jemmy Is Slain" and their separate parts on "Famine Fever Frost" and "Pale Horse", all with minimal accompaniment from masters of musical restraint and tension, Tom Pryor and Adam Ronchetti are a complete wonder. "Smokeless Chimneys" adapted from a 1862 poem, is an unaccompanied masterpiece that notes the end of life as it was.
"Landmark" is a beautiful airy instrumental interlude written by Tom Pryor, all string sounds and church organ. In my head it strengthened the idea of the album as a Musical Folk Stage Play and I imagined this playing to denote the, passage of time, while stage hands changed the set round. "After London" with its skipping guitar part and drum beat behind Ben and Laura's words of nature's cycle and rebirth, is very much side two, presenting buccolic, savage but balanced good life. With an almost Prog feel to the music the vocalists paint a bright picture. Adapted from Jeffries book, the last three tracks are a suite of songs about rebirth, like Crosby And Stills "Wooden Ships" the old choked world is consumed by miasmic swamp or rising water, while the survivors sail away. "Lay Low Lay" and "The Ships", like a sublime folk take on an Olias Of Sunhillow, find people existing on and alongside the now clean waters. Chiming guitars and charming harmonies present a vision where the old world is not reborn but consumed and eventually put down by nature.
With the dark, bleak beginning and the softer almost Laurel Canyon sound in the rebirth this is a stunning album of deliberate contrasts. New Folks War Of The Worlds, a Concept album woven from 19th century fiction, poetry and folk song, where we are saved from ourselves. In a gentle, subtle way the light bleached cover of scans and photos of flowers growing over a fence, echo nature growing over skyscrapers and buildings. Starting with a shout for the old life and ending with a cautious nursery rhyme suite of hope this a compelling dark, disturbing folk psyche musical tale, impeccably delivered by the masterful Bird In The Belly.
Like The, Mishaped Pearls, Bird In The Belly have an atmosphere, a feel for their music that makes them very much ones to watch. I'm now waiting for the staging of the Folk Opera.
Marc Higgins
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The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Pirate is the current session and features 16 fantastic artists check out the website to find out more about them and download your copy
www.fatea-showcase-sessions.co.uk for all the artist information.