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Alasdair RobertsNo Earthly Man Spunk/Inertia Beginning with a dreary version of Lord Ronald, an age-old Scottish death ballad, might not have been the best way for Alasdair Roberts to unveil his latest record. While the following seven songs (each traditional, each arranged by Roberts) are far more enjoyable, this bold move will win Roberts scorn as well as praise. He may very well have grown up with these songs and one shouldn't fault him for attempting to honour them; but some might say these songs are best kept for pubs, funerals, school dances and bonfire rites. Indeed, several versions have been recorded over the years, most notably during the folk rock apex of the 1970s. Again, some will say those versions cannot be touched nor bettered. Track two, Molly Bawn, is aided by death rattle drums and the familiar voice of the record's producer Will Oldham and offers a better picture of where Roberts could take these songs. The Cruel Mother too is a fine example of the genre, the strings and drums maintaining a gloomy tone. With just a fiddle to accompany him, On The Banks of Red Roses is delightful; Roberts' voice is unaffected, plain. He tries not to sound like anybody else; he merely sings the songs as he found them. For that we shall applaud him, cheering and clapping loudest for his most stirring rendition of A Lyke Wake Dirge. Here Roberts and a choir of his companions becomes a great sad wolf, crying on the moors, for love and for death. This collection is honest and has moments of pastoral beauty, agape and black-boned sorrow. Fans of British folk will find things to hang onto, as will followers of Roberts, Oldham and the Drag City family. If God favours the brave, Alasdair Roberts should be wearing a big blue ribbon.  |
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