The Miraculous Mule frontman’s December solo album is a beautiful, tender, haunting, intimate, country and blues infused collection of “bastardised folk songs, murder ballads, traveller tunes and sea songs” variously with new lyrics and arrangements. As he puts it: “I am not an aficionado, traditionalist or collector of songs – there are many great singers and players who keep the flame burning – in fact most of these songs were brand new to me, and half of them I have wrenched away from their traditional melodies and set the words to new tunes. I have used these songs to push out and explore new possibilities and no doubt some of these ideas will filter through to my own songs.” All eight songs are beautiful gems, but standouts include Green Grow The Laurels, with a version previously heard by Sandy Denny, but here with some new words and a reversed guitar loop drone, Blow The Candle Out featuring Mal Troon on lead guitar and Suzanne Rhatigan on backing vocals, a haunting Am I Born To Die? previously sung by Doc Watson, and the shimmering love song Phoenix Island turned into a duet with Suzanne Rhatigan, inspired by another version by Mary McCarthy. Available by Bandcamp - see the embedded link below.
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