Deserted Village /
The Magickal Folk of the Faraway Tree : The Soup & The Shilling-2CD- (IR,2009)***°°
Deadlackstring Rec.
Disc 1 ****°
After two hopelessly limited CDR’s this is finally the first official CD release which combines the two short CDR's called "The Mildew Leaf" and "The Cat's Melodeon" (reviewed on the same page) on the first CD, together with one track from the “Gold Leaf Branches” compilation (a 3CD compilation to introduce the Digitalis label and their interests). What struck me again after listening to the first CD was how beautiful the vocal harmonies that the band used, were being deeply rooted in the real thing of folk, and with richly coloured broadly ranged harmonies of communal or a friendship based creative social energy’s strength, reminding me a bit of the better moments of vocal arrangements of when the Incredible String Band were a larger group. The qualities and honesty in the performances and songs are the best aspects of poor men’s voices, where the lead voice has something of Clive Palmer during C.O.B.. One of the beautiful reminders of this great period to have heard again is a French song with voice, flute and guitar, “Le Bon Marain”.
Disc 2 **°°'
Disc Two is all new recordings, which, according to the label is further exploring the Peter Kennedy songbook (author of “Folksongs of Britain and Ireland”) and beyond. With more beautifully performed and arranged (solo or dual vocals, mandolin, guitar, harmonium, flute,..) and well recorded songs this second album continues where the band has started before, with pleasure and calm strength and moodiness in the playing. But there are also just a few more basic to folk arrangements and tunes, less transformed into their unique sound, but thus much recognisable, like two folk songs (of which styles I understand less the fascination for myself, like the connection with the hopsasa Irish folk areas), namely “Blackbirds and Thrushes” and an acapella version of “Up to the rigs”, although this still fits well into the folk root area the band is coming from. Still, this collection of 3 albums are a nearly must to check out, especially for fans of C.O.B..
