Folk
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday February 19, 2011
FAY HIELDLooking Glass(Topic/Planet)RATING: 3.5/5There is a folk boom in Britain at the moment. A new, younger generation (Laura Marling, Noah and the Whale, Mumford & Sons) are reinterpreting old material and trying to find ways to make timeless stories relevant to contemporary audiences.It occurred in the 1960s and '70s with bands such as Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention and solo artists including June Tabor, Nic Jones, Nick Drake and Martin Carthy. In the '90s there were Kate Rusby, Nancy Kerr and Eliza Carthy.The common characteristics are always the same. A few bands nudging at the edge of the avant garde, some seeking commercial success and others, such as Fay Hield, present old songs as honestly as they can.Her voice is warm and pure, material impeccable and approach suitably sparse, allowing only the occasional fiddle or concertina and at times simply singing a capella.Those familiar with the folk oeuvre will be fascinated by her reinvention of songs popularised during the 1970s folk boom. Sheepcrook and Black Dog is far removed from Steeleye Span's near-rock version and The Shepherd's Daughter, which Steeleye turned into 4-minute opus Royal Forester, Hield distils into a succinct 2-minute variation. The result is a tour de force of traditional folk. LIKE THIS? TRY THESESandy Denny, A Boxful of Treasures; June Tabor, The Definitive Collection
© 2011 Sydney Morning Herald