Miranda Mulholland – By Appointment Or Chance
Roaring Girl Records – Out Now
Not many people can say they recorded an album because of a cat. Canadian violinist and vocalist Miranda Mulholland discovered the town of Twyford, England by accident after a gig. The owners were planning a camping trip for the spring and needed someone to housesit and care for their cat. After four years of cat sitting, it became obvious this was the perfect place to record By Appointment Or Chance, a collection of songs recorded over the course of a week in that Hampshire cottage.
Bookended by the sound of the morning and evening birds outside her window, a much gentler, but no less passionate, Miranda is on display. That’s made clear by the initial notes of Tara Minton’s harp on Heart Like A Wheel. The aching beauty of this Anna McGarrigle song is counterpointed by the harpist’s ability to examine the seam between jazz and classical music. The echoing refrain of “only love” establishes an unrivalled standard of quality and musicality maintained throughout this set of music.
Guitarist and producer Tali Trow comes to the fore on Peg and Awl. His soft plucking, along with the bass work of Joe Phillips, quietly underpin this tale that has never been more timely than in this age of ‘technological advancement’ that leaves so many without a livelihood. Together, these four musicians create a pastoral sound matching the quiet beauty of the English countryside.
Looking back on her own catalogue, Bar Rage is based on fiddle motifs Mulholland wrote back in her twenties while part of a travelling fiddle show, Barrage. She explains, “I didn’t end my time on that show as the happiest camper. So, I just split the word up and called the song Bar Rage, which is kind of a cheeky little joke.” This version seems to have little rage on display, just exceptional interplay between harp and violin.
The melancholy of Raglan Road begins with the harp bringing out a gentler, initially less sorrowful side to the piece. Yet both the lyrics and Miranda’s violin play to the sadness at the piece’s heart. Jordie Lane’s Black Diamond tells the tale of a miner who has the misfortune to fall for the ghost of a hooker. Played at a jaunty pace with the miner recounting the tale to his friends, you can almost feel their incredulity.
While By Appointment Or Chance explains exactly how these songs came to Miranda Mulholland, in the end, our gratitude has to go out to Poppy, the cat who brought Miranda back to the peaceful landscape of Twyford and was essential in bringing this most distinguished collection to fruition.
at a time when cats need some good press, here is poppy the cat finding fame in the globe and mail in this article about my time in twyford, badgers and being paid in fresh eggs! pic.twitter.com/uN3TYIRxOG
— miranda mulholland (@miramulholland) February 9, 2020
Photo Credit: Ali Eisner