Reviews

Carrie Martin
Album: Le Fay
Label: Psychotron Records
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.carriemartin.co.uk/

There is something otherworldly about Carrie Martin, she looks as if she might have just stepped out of an artwork by Sir John Everett Millais, so when I knew that she was releasing an album called "Le Fay" I thought it possible that the title might be describing her, as le fée is French for The Fairy. But no. The title track is, of course, related to the Arthurian sorceress, Morgan Le Fay. The song is not specifically about her, but is sympathetic to any poor person unfortunate to have been enchanted by her.

The only time that I have seen Carrie was at a folk club, in which she sang and played acoustic guitar, as if she was a folk singer. I was aware that she often worked with various luminaries from the progressive rock genre such as Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman, but I hadn't quite expected her album to be so exquisitely technically complex.

The CD version of the album breaks you into this gently, with the first track, the title track "Le Fay", being acoustic, followed by her version of Martin Carthy's version of "Scarborough Fair". Even then, both of these tracks are far more layered than an average singer plus acoustic guitar song. On the acoustic version of "Le Fay", somebody called Steve Amadeo plays bass, somebody called Paul Morris plays some beautiful whistle and somebody called Maria Quinn, (all three of whom, I don't think I've heard before), provides some 'orchestration', though I don't think a full orchestra was used as Maria is only credited as 'instrumental arrangement and backing vocals. I believe that Maria arranged and played the strings herself.

"Scarborough Fair" is also graced by Maria Quinn on keyboards, along with Gordon Giltrap on acoustic guitar, providing an ancient (perhaps Arthurian?) feel along with some stunning vibrato from Carrie and some subtle backing vocals from Maria that are guaranteed to raise goose bumps.

Carrie's new album can be bought as a CD or on vinyl, with a slightly different combination of tracks on each. On the CD, the title track appears twice, but in very different versions. The album opens with the acoustic version, and closes with a full on progressive version with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards. The vinyl does not contain the acoustic version at all, but opens with the prog rock version. The acoustic version is beautiful, but in my opinion, growing up with bands like Yes and Strawbs, I adore anything that is associated with a Wakeman.

Incidentally, the Italian for Morgan Le Fay is Fata Morgana, the name given to a type of mirage that her magic is supposed to have created, and also the derivation for "Fatea".

I don't believe that "Le Fay" is a concept album and that any of the other tracks are directly related to Morgan Le Fay, although many of the remaining tracks refer to someone simply by the title 'she'. I don't know whether 'she' still refers to Morgan Le Fay, to Carrie herself or to somebody else either fictional of real.

Case in point - "Northern Star" is about a person simply referred to as 'she'; described as shining like a Northern star, high in the sky like a seabird - it's her destiny. That all feels very magical to me, maybe not necessarily specifically Arthurian.

There's also a sense of magic in "The Rainbow". Again the song refers to someone just by 'she'. More likely this 'she' is a young Carrie, who once watched a rainbow and was stunned by all of the beautiful colours. She wanted to keep the rainbow, but it wasn't hers to keep. I don't think this gentle acoustic song is a song about disappointment, more about the realisation that we should delight in the beauty of Nature, but not attempt to own it. This song was written for an earlier project that wasn't used, now repurposed for this album.

"Wherever She Goes" is a song about a woman (again 'she') recalling poetry in a dream, particularly the nursery rhyme 'Ride a cock horse'. I had no idea that the nursery rhyme was based on Lady Godiva. I think the idea is that a musician on stage with nothing but an acoustic guitar feels as naked as if she was on horseback covering her nakedness with only her long hair. Full rock sound with Wayne Proctor on percussion, Dave Skyes on electric guitar and Steve Amadeo on bass. It ends with a children's choir from Elloughton Primary School reciting the nursery rhyme.

"What If" was the title track of a previous album, and was her father's favourite track of hers. She lost her father during the recording of "Le Fay", so to honour him, she re-recorded it for inclusion on the album with Gordon Giltrap on acoustic guitar and with Richard Melling on double bass. Knowing that she had recorded it for her father makes it even more poignant.

"Falling Into You" is a track that is not on the vinyl, only on the CD, is a love song to her husband. Again this is full on rock with Dave Sykes on electric guitar, Wayne Proctor on percussion and Steve Amadeo on bass.

"Dust" was written during lockdown, and was based on the novel of the same name by Louise Beech. Gentle piano, strings and backing vocals from Maria.

"Jasper's Love" is a beautiful instrumental with just Carrie on acoustic, and was written for a friend when she lost her dog, Jasper. You can hear why Gordon Giltrap said 'I have watched Carrie Martin’s musical gifts grow with each consecutive album.'

There is one track that appears only on the vinyl and not on the CD, and as I don't have the vinyl I can't really say much about it. It is called "Freyja", who was the Nordic Goddess of love, war and fertility. It is apparently an acoustic version featuring bass from Ben Lourie, (who also played bass on "Northern Star"). The song, but not in this version, will appear as part of her next project, which is planned to be a full band Progressive Rock concept album called "Goddess". Bring it on!

"Le Fay" is an album that covers a multitude of genres from acoustic folk, orchestrations, hard rock and prog, with gorgeous vocals, spine tingling backing vocals along with Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeaman. What is not to like?

Pete Bradley

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