Merry Hell – Anthems To The Wind
Self Released – 26 November 2018
Anthems To The Wind is the fifth album from Merry Hell and its title is both a big reveal and a red herring. For this is not a song selection thematically based on hurricanes and siroccos despite there being a gentle breeze sweeping through every song. It does tell much of the gestation of the material though. In the eight years since Merry Hell formed out of the remains of Folk / Punk rousers The Tansads, they have forged a sound and live reputation that demanded large spaces and electricity. However, even though the pulsating heart of the Folk scene had been the intended destination, they are, in essence, an original song writing outfit. The intimacy of the folk clubs squeezed their juices every bit as much as the festival arenas. So, in recent years, the sound of the Merry Hell has adjusted to accommodate this. A fiddle player (Neil McCartney) has arrived on board and they’ve adopted a more acoustic-based, stripped back approach. This has proved to be a masterstroke as the old adage about ‘less being more’ is shown to be wholly true on their latest long player. That all important space allows these songs to breathe and in so doing their depth and beauty springs forward. The air around these tunes forms the wind that the album’s title pays homage to; for as these songs are blown into wide open spaces reaching more heads and souls, so they will grow and live on. The band’s intention is firmly to “sing them loud and proud and see how far they travel”.
Recording the album in live settings is another great decision now repaying in spades. One of the locations, Bunbury Village Hall, stands out to me as an inspired choice. A major modern advancement in recording technology has been the clarity with which any instrument can be captured. Acoustic guitars can blast out of the speakers like they are literally being played inside your brain, up front and loud without a trace of any other sound around. But is that actually any good when it comes to capturing the vibes of an organic collective like this? On this album, the sound of that village hall is just as vital as the sound of the instruments. You are listening to a band playing in a room, it is there for all to hear and you really can feel the space surrounding them. It’s in the resonance of the rhythm sections and the sonorous vocals that bounce off the high ceiling. There’s something very comforting about the sound of a village hall. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, could it instil memories of childhood perhaps? Whatever it is, this is a sound that I love. It’s a vibration that encapsulates a musical reality rather than an airbrushed musical perfection and that is a wonderful thing.
Many of the greatest song-writing bands flourish if they’re blessed with more than one composer with a unique style that is complimentary but also markedly different. Original member Bob Kettle, who attacks his banjo, bouzouki and mandolins with proper aggression, has four songs in the melting pot on this collection. It’s an album consisting of brand-new originals and re-workings of some Merry Hell older tunes. Bob’s is the side to the band where the Folk-Punk roots show through. His style is rabble-rousing, chest thumping and energetic. He has a rough-edged voice and a caustic twinkle in his eye, but the good vibes are plentiful. ‘Fear Of Falling’ is a great example of his trademark, razor-edged style; its mission is to push you onwards and upwards. In fact, there’s such a Lennon-esque grain to it that Virginia Kettle seems spontaneously inspired to put a quick “yeah yeah yeah” into her backing vocals. Mind you it is ‘Over The Border’ that is Bob’s big flag pitching, stand out song on the record. It’s got festival sing-along written all over it. This will work on those summer crowds too, for Bob has a natural feel for drama and communal bonhomie in his writing. If he’s the beating heart of the band then it’s Virginia (vocals and guitar) who brings the soul and colour to this detailed picture. As the other premier tunesmith in the ranks, she’s the tea bag to his hot water.
Virginia has a delightful way with a story and a characterisation. Her tale of ‘The Butcher And The Vegan’, who lived together on Burnham On Sea, are vivid constructs of her imagination. You end up wondering how on earth these two got together and considering the conflicting minutiae of their union. Which one of the two is making the greater compromise? Could it be the vegan as she turns a blind eye to all the dead meat around her living environment? Or is it the butcher as he sits down to her lovingly prepared tofu of an evening? This is exactly what a song-painting a snapshot picture should do, fire up your imagination. That’s not all, Virginia can inhabit a character and deliver in what appears to be the first person too. ‘My Finest Hour’ is announced as a song “for mothers everywhere” as our protagonist fumes at a parent’s brick walling of some potential romantic interest.
Completing the compositional element in the ranks is brother and guitarist John Kettle. He’s no slouch either. ‘Lean On Me, Love’ is a song that has grown to be a warm-hearted, spirited show stopper since its first appearance back in 2011.
‘Anthems To The Wind’ is the sound of a band that are really starting to come to the boil, which is no more than you’d expect from a unit with so many kettles in it! Sorry, couldn’t resist that one. But in all seriousness, they really are finding their groove and harvesting their produce. They are at that brilliant moment in a band’s evolution where everyone’s on the same wavelength and the ideas are just tumbling out. They are comfortable with their own identity and genuinely excited by the music they’re making. With good reason, I’d say. This is the sort of album I’d play to someone sat on the fence with the folk scene, so melodically satisfying are the contents I’d back the Merry Hell to win anyone over. Could they be about to take a giant leap forward in 2019? I wouldn’t bet against it. If you get a chance to see them I’d strongly suggest you grab it fast. Catch the wind while it’s as strong and irresistible as Merry Hell on top form.
Order Anthems to the Wind via http://www.merryhell.co.uk/shop.html
Merry Hell are on tour now. Visit their website for full details and ticket links here http://www.merryhell.co.uk/gigs.html