Alice Wylde
Album: Songs Of Old Appalachia
Label: Wild Goose
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.wildgoose.co.uk/displayArtist.asp?ARTIST_ID=161

"Songs Of Old Appalachia" is, as they say, one of those albums that does exactly what it says on the sleeve. When Alice Wylde headed for these shores, she brought her native folk music with her and like a lot of folk music, it's a warts and all presentation.

One of the things that I find interesting is how many of the songs, knock the honesty and integrity of the inhabitants of other American States, it seems that songwriters never seemed to have a good time when travelling away from home.

The simple presentation, predominately a single voice with simple banjo accompaniment, reflect the hardship that's sung about in many of the songs, this is an album of tough hard times and tough people, things were kept simple because there wasn't enough time or energy to make things fancy.

Alice Wylde has a voice that is filled with heartfelt emotion. "Shiloh's Hill", a vocal only rendition, of a song about the loss of the songwriter's father in the brutal battle is one of the most moving songs you'll hear and an absolute gem in an album that is already a fine example of its genre.

There's quite a bit of dialect in the song selection, which helps give, "Songs Of Old Appalachia" a real woodsmoke and grits feel, this is mountain music that's not only an entertaining listen, but also a great history lesson and Alice Wylde is making herself a name.

Neil King