Ninebarrow – The Waters and the Wild
Winding Track – 20 April 2018
Do not fear! Yes, the first thirty seconds of this album are solo Ukulele, but it’s not going to be like the two chord wonders you have been hearing on every insurance advert these last few years. In fact, everyone needs the odd gentle reminder that most instruments, in the right hands, can properly suit any occasion. This case is a perfect example, for I am listening to The Hour of the Blackbird, the opening track from The Waters & The Wild, the third release from Dorset duo Ninebarrow.
Hour of the Blackbird provides the perfect prologue to the album, almost a folk equivalent of Dvořák’s ‘New World Symphony’. While its texture softly builds and the arrangement gets wonderfully busy, the focus is never too far from the centrepiece of this work, the unity of voice achieved by Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere.
At this stage, I’m going to pass on Halsewell. It doesn’t just quite hit the mark for me. The percussive sound at the beginning sounds like a drum that has been recorded too hot and should have been left out. What I loved about the opening track was the dryness of the vocals, so dry, clear and brave, and not at all afraid to be vulnerable. In Halsewell however, the vocals are coated in a reverb that is distracting and puts distance between Jon, Jay and the listener.
OK, we’re back. The title Overthrown may give the expectation of an aggressive track, and it is in a way, but in the most gentlest form. Remember the Aesop fable of the wind and the sun? It reminds me of that, how instead of giving us a stern lecture on the effects that we as a people are having on our environment, it can be more fruitful to gently help us to once again fall in love with our surroundings.
Prickle Eye Bush sounds like the two lads are finding their stride on this album. A more carefree attitude that really suits them brings a smile to my face. Although I have quite enjoyed listening so far, this is the first time that it crosses my mind that seeing these two on stage could be a very enjoyable experience, and something I look forward to.
While Gamekeepers Lie Sleeping would not the easiest song to sing. Not only is it flawlessly done here, but harmonised to the same level also. It’s quite a showcase, and I’m sure has been performed as an encore by the lads at various places.
I have never been to Dorset. But I do think that listening to Hwome is the closest I’ve come yet. As this album progresses, I get more of an idea who these two lads are, and the pride they have in their home place. Hwome is my favourite track of the album, and it will take something very good to beat it. But as each track just gets better and better, we stand every chance.
Wow! Hwome‘s pole position is immediately in contention. As Thirteen Turns gains momentum, it suddenly dawns on me how rare it is, two men harmonising constantly, song after song, yet not once have I thought that it was too much. Jon and Jan’s voices dance in and around each other in a sonic ballet. One leads courageously and the other follows precisely, yet it is the two together that is spectacular.
The title track comes next. As lovely as The Waters and The Wild is, its arrangement teeter on the brink of having too much Braveheart for me. That could just be me though, I’ll say no more. Row On though is a different matter, I could listen to that over and over for a while yet. Such a beautiful throwback to the tradition of choral singing that this part of the world does so well, and so comfortably. Incredible. Row On is the perfect ending song for any album, yet in this case it is third from last, something that really wets my appetite for the final numbers.
Gather it In does not disappoint. It’s an incredibly tasteful track that although nestled in tradition, sounds so fresh, that it could perhaps poke its way through the barricade of daytime radio, and acquire a position that so many more songs and artists of this genre deserve.
If The Hour of the Blackbird is this album’s prologue, then it certainly deserves a wonderful epilogue to match. From the moment the cello begins in Sing a Full Song, I feel a slight tinge of sadness. It is setting me up for perfectly up for the end of this album, and I realise that it’s not something I am quite ready for. Nevertheless, it is an ending so well designed that I am delighted to relive it over soon.
Ninebarrow’s The Waters & The Wild is a testament that this is a duo of traditional integrity. They will not conform and jump on the latest bandwagon. Instead, they have the patience and confidence to gently sew new patterns onto familiar tapestry. Jon and Jay’s love and respect for their Dorset heritage shows in their wonderfully delicate renewal of its form, something that will surely provide deep satisfaction to many – it will be in safe hands for years to come.
The Waters and the Wild is out now: https://www.ninebarrow.co.uk/shop
Upcoming UK Tour Dates
FRI 20 APRIL – Milverton Music Club, Taunton
SAT 21 APRIL – The Lighthouse (Poole Arts Centre), Poole
MON 23 APRIL – Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester
THU 26 APRIL – Chedworth Village Hall, Chedworth
FRI 27 APRIL – Woodman Folk Club, Kingswinford
SAT 28 APRIL – Thorganby Village Hall, York
SUN 29 APRIL – Dunston Village Hall, Lincoln