It’s official, Christmas has come early, courtesy of Alasdair Roberts…
My first introduction to Alasdair Roberts came in the form of a package sent by the artist in the early days of Folk Radio containing a series of CDs along with a beermat on which was the unmistakable silhouette of the Scottish singer songwriter backed by a thistle on the other side. Among the recordings were three albums and two EPs recorded under his early alias of Appendix Out. At some time or other, all of those tracks have had airplay on Folk Radio (especially during our old radio streaming days), from Invocation of the Corn Mother to Hexen in the Anticyclone. I don’t think there’s an album of Alasdair Roberts that we haven’t played.
Appendix Out made their debut 7″ Ice Age on Will Oldham’s Palace Records, an imprint of Chicago-based Drag City Records, in 1995. It was around the same time that Jason Molina’s Songs: Ohia project also released their single Nor Cease Thou Never Now on Palace. Oldham, Molina and Roberts, along with the additional accompaniment of Paul Oldham would later release a self-titled EP under the alias of Amalgamated Sons of Rest which they began recording the day after 911 (read about it here).
It has been nearly 20 years now since Roberts shed his alias but the good news is that while sheltering in London he has returned to that short catalogue of songs documenting his early years of songwriting and recording. The result is a new album: The Songs of My Boyhood – a title that made me chuckle as I’m sure was the intention.
The album will be digitally released only via Drag City on June 23. While that may be a disappointment to some the accompanying 9-page digital booklet is well worth the cost of entry – it’s very insightful, featuring photos etc. and a lot of effort has clearly gone into it. To celebrate the occasion, the first single is that grand debut – Ice Age, performed live from the living room. It’s also our Song of the Day!
Drag City on Alasdair’s new album: Appendix Out played ornate Scottish folk music resonated through a doleful indie-rock spirit, as young Alasdair Roberts flashed his epic lyrical reach for the first time, stringing together a diversity of images that evoked the timelessness of rural myth. As Alasdair has just welcomed a son into his life, these records have the sense of a reckoning, looking at the past while on the threshold of a changed future. Ali’s digs deep, touching upon favorites from The Rye Bears a Poison, Daylight Saving and The Night Is Advancing, as well as several harder-to-locate songs from singles and compilations – for instance, a new interpretation of his initial Palace Records A-side “Ice Age,” uncollected elsewhere since. Here, Alasdair puts fresh light upon his ancient tune, with a keening tempo and a yearning, nostalgic air.
Intuitively played and sung with the knowledge of the years and richly rendered in Ali‘s home-recorded tradition of years earlier (with the newfound fidelity that contemporary studio-at-home techniques provide), The Songs of My Boyhood is an open conversation with himself that promises to move the hearts and souls of both Appendix Out and Alasdair Roberts fans. Those who buy on Bandcamp or from Drag City will receive an epic recollection of the time, complete with old photos. It’s quite a package for a digital-only release!
The Songs of My Boyhood Tracklisting
1.Second Perthshire House Song
2.Frozen Blight
3.The Language in Things
4.Tangled Hair
5.Ice Age
6.First Perthshire House Song
7.Seagulls, Belts
8.Arcane Lore
9.The Groves of Lebanon
10.Exile
11.Autumn
Pre-Order via Bandcamp here: https://alasdairroberts.bandcamp.com/
Also: As Part of Folk Weekend: Oxford, you can watch Alasdair performing live on Friday, 19 June 2020 from 20:00-21:45. Facebook Event Details.