The very idea of folk music has recently become distorted: we no longer think fiddles and pipes, and we might not even look to artists such as Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel as pioneers, as acts like Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver reinvent the genre for modern times. Yet folk remains more than simply a vehicle for acoustic guitars; it is a means of storytelling.
James Yorkston has never quite fitted in with the new guard of folk artists, the likes of Justin Vernon et al. Not quite radio friendly, not especially advert ready, the Scot has long produced folk music in a traditional style, albeit with some rock music leanings. So it is only appropriate that he should now choose to interpret the songs that have so inspired him, with the help of the Big Eyes Family Players in lieu of his Athletes.
‘Folk Songs’ features an array of songs which are interpretations of traditional Anglo-Irish folk tunes, passed down through generations, and increasingly delivered as modern renditions. Most of them Yorkston himself learned from performers of the ‘60s – Anne Briggs is mentioned a few times – and had evolved into something new by the time they reached his ears.
The tracks that stand out the most are, surprisingly, those that feel the least traditional. ‘Mary Connaught and James O’Donnell’ is the closest to a rock song – featuring the same frantic rumbling Yorkston previously applied to Lal Waterson’s ‘Midnight Feast’ – and comprises a highlight for its sinister harmonies and maritime atmosphere. At the opposite end of the blurred spectrum is ‘Just As The Tide Was Flowing,‘ which – being brief and jaunty in nature – may be the closest thing to a pop song on the record. But even the most traditional of the lot, ‘Thorneymoor Woods,’ is far from predictable: the tale of a poacher, it is told through a musical evocation of mist.
‘Folk Songs’ serves as fine introduction to both Yorkston and traditional folk. Many are bound to recognise a tune familiar if ever caught on their grandparents’ radio as a child, while those who are au fait with the newer age of folk can embrace the opportunity to learn from the old guard. Hopefully it will be a jumping off point for further exploration.
7/10
