Reviews
Hase Waits Album: The Dancing Spot
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.hasewaits.com/
There are some albums that you didn't realise you were waiting for until they arrive. Hase Waits' debut album, "The Dancing Spot" is that exact thing, it's an album they don't make anymore, except they do.
I first saw Hase Waits at Beardy Folk Festival, I introduced them and was then blown away by them as they played some of the best traditional music I'd heard from a new band in quite some time. I immediately offered them a spot on the Fatea Showcase Sessions and they allowed me use of "The Cloud Set", now the opener on the album.
The thing is "The Cloud Set" is one of the band's own compositions, but it feels like it is very much part of what can loosely be described as "The Tradition", Hase Wait aren't a band that curate the tradition into their own style, they live, breathe and add to it in a way that's becoming all too rare.
Most of the writing credits go to sisters Hannah Bainton & Heather Thomas, both flautists and whistle players and guitarist, hurdy-gurdy player James Thomas, though there is a co-write with other legendary whistle player Mike McGoldrick. The tune sets delivered by the band are nothing short of stunning.
I guess the clue to that is in the album title, "The Dancing Spot", these are sets that almost demand to be danced to, occasionally broken up by traditional song just to give you time to get your breath back. It's named for a spot for the family have gathered on many an occasion to simply dance and have a good time.
If you know what you're looking for the story of what lies instore is contained within the name of the band, Hase an old name for Hessle and Waits, a dialect word for musicians, a simple enough explanation and a clue to what is the best debut album that I've heard in a long time. The musicianship within this six piece, the aforementioned and Phill Ball, Gary Hammond and Luker Hirst is right out of the top draw.
It's not just the quality of the musicians it's the way they feed off each other, "The Dancing Spot" feels live, feels vibrant, feels as fresh as a mountain stream, bounding in energy, even when it finds a gentle curve to take off some of the pace.
I said this was an album they don't make anymore, the blend of the old and new, so sublime as to be scintillating, "The Dancing Spot" is a must, let it flow though your veins, let it be part of your dna.
Neil King
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Fatea Showcase Sessions
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