The Brothers Gillespie – The Fell
Self Released – 11 December 2018
The subtle subjectivity inherent in the appreciation of music was demonstrated to me – and not for the first time – when I listened to the opening track on The Fell, the new Brothers Gillespie album. Golden One is a wild shimmer of a song with roots in the mysteries that still occupy the landscapes of rural Britain. But the series of controlled synaptic explosions it triggered in my brain in the instant between hearing and understanding made me think, for some inexplicable reason, of Bob Dylan in 1966, the Bob Dylan who travelled to Nashville in search of what he called the ‘thin, wild mercury sound’, and ended up with Blonde On Blonde, one of the most famous and rightly lauded albums ever made.
Let’s be clear: Golden One doesn’t sound like Bob Dylan. But where Dylan sought to bring various strands of musical heritage into one (gloriously modernist) package, the Brothers Gillespie (James and Sam) have stumbled across a very different kind of ‘wild mercury’, one that draws on the varied and rich traditions of the British Isles. The sibling duo from Hexham in Northumberland have an unrestrained vocal interplay that sometimes approaches the ardent delivery of the Incredible String Band, and at times they share Robin Williamson and Mike Heron’s gift for writing songs that sound ancient, or as if they were formed by the elements. Golden One is given a further mystical twist by Siannie Moodie’s celtic harp, that rises up through the song like a mountain stream.
The nimble guitar on Coventina’s Daughter does, strangely, resemble Dylan (albeit the Dylan of 1963 rather than 1966), but Sam Gillespie’s flighty whistle adds an extra layer of mystery. The Scottish ballad Road To Dundee is the album’s only strictly traditional song and serves as a timely reminder that borders (in this case the border between England and Scotland – the musical and social border as much as the physical one) are not always easy to define.
On Tina’s Song, the pair take aim at the environmentally damaging processes of late capitalism, focussing on the fracking debate in the north of England. It is an important and timely call to arms, a true protest song for the Anthropocene. Northumberland is a poem by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson beautifully set to music by the pair, once again featuring Moodie’s evocative harp. Gibson, a contemporary of Rupert Brooke and Edward Thomas, was one of the most underappreciated poets of his generation – and like the Gillespies was a resident of Hexham – and it is wonderful to hear his work given a such a loving and atmospheric update.
Blackberry Blossom provides perhaps the best example of the brothers’ vocal interplay. The song itself is a cover of a Michelle Shocked track (which is well worth seeking out) and is full of blithe, bright fiddle and acoustic guitar. Wilderness And Wild burns slower but in many respects brighter. Like the opening track it deals with a human relationship on a grand, mystical scale, but never feel separated from the landscapes that inspired it. It is fitting that here and elsewhere the duo use imagery of fire and gold: the whole album glows with warmth and an intangible kind of richness. Certain lyrical phrases stud each song like gemstones, and though the wilderness depicted may be cold and seemingly barren, there is the constant comfort of human interaction as a counterpoint.
The Fell’s closing track, Banks Of The Liffey, is one of the most sensitive and subtle drinking songs you are ever likely to hear. Old memories intertwine with new possibilities, and the song’s easy pace and effortless musicianship give it a timeless feel. Here and across the whole breadth of the album there is a kind of alchemy at work: the Brothers Gillespie use ostensibly simple musical ingredients to create songs that feel like classics in the making. These are songs that map out specific localities (physical, emotional and spiritual) but aren’t afraid to make use of a cosmopolitan array of influences. The Fell shows off British acoustic music in its best possible light.
Order ‘The Fell’ via The Brothers Gillespie website store: https://thebrothersgillespie.com/store#
Upcoming Dates
Wed, February 6 – Cramlington Folk Club, Cramlington
Sat, February 9 – Twicebrewed Inn, Bardon Mill
Wed, February 20 – Geffrye Museum, London
Sat, March 30 – Victoria Hall, Settle
Sun, June 16 – Dundee Acoustic Music Club
Fri, June 21 – The Hearth at Horsley, Horsley
More: https://thebrothersgillespie.com/shows