Kris Drever – Where The World Is Thin
Reveal Records – 2 October 2020
Possibly more famous for his work in Lau, alongside Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke, Kris Drever is also renowned on the Scottish music scene, and beyond, for his work with John McCusker, Eddi Reader, Kate Rusby and Julie Fowlis. Consequently, a new recording from Drever is always welcome and there is no exception here. Sincere, heartfelt and timeless, Where The World Is Thin feels like an album with the promise of autumn, with song titles such as Hunker Down and Westlin’ Winds peppered through the tracklisting.
Westlin’ Winds is an especially beautiful recording. Opening with the focus on Drever and his guitar. It slowly builds to a rousing, yet tender, finale. Fiddle, piano and bass fill the track, accompanied by the sublime vocals of Siobhan Miller. The soft, warm voice of Miller acting as a sweet contrast to Drever’s more sinewy tone. The words of Robert Burns have rarely been so alluringly delivered.
Dick Gaughan made Westlin’ Winds made his own on his significant 1981 album Handful of Earth, and as a note of tribute, Drever references the impact of the track in his album notes. An apt reference, as there is something of Gaughan’s toughness and rile in Drever, especially so in the semi-political Hunker Down. Subtitled The Old Blitz Spirit the track takes on a timely note during the time of Covid-19, but it could easily apply to the peril of the dreaded Brexit. Darkly playful, singing of the crowds who escape ‘to the holiday homes and the private islands’, Drever’s promise is tempered by the threat ‘The cupboards are bare so you better start giving.’ To those who object, the song’s protagonist snarls, ‘Wind yer neck in, and hunker down’.
Whilst he flirts with politics, Drever’s heart is fundamentally that of a romantic. Sanday is a beckon to one of the Orkney islands from Drever’s home in Glasgow. ‘When the wind howls I still feel near you’. Drever was born in Kirkwall but his father, equally talented folk singer, and songwriter Ivan Drever, grew up on Sanday and the place naturally holds an affinity for both. Clearly, the place lingers long in his thoughts: ‘Memory’s now my home’.
Drever always manages to confidently bridge that elusive gap between tradition and the contemporary. The dominant vibe is folk, but there are threads of swing and even a little indie-pop in the mix here, especially so in Hollow Trees.
The title track is very much a treat. Knowing, reflective and emotive: ‘There’s not enough room in the word, to describe the distance I’d travel’. The intimate rawness of Drever’s guitar combined with Rachel Lightbody’s ethereal accompaniment proving entirely enchanting. Essentially a love song it delivers a caution too: ‘You can buy affection for gold, you can sell ideas for pounds and pence, love’s not obliged to make much sense. That’s what makes us spin. Where the world is thin’.
Themes of memory, resilience, fragility, and longing filter through the album, ensuring a somewhat ephemeral and reflective recording. Drever’s voice and delivery is as idiosyncratic and rich as ever. His sincere Scottish brogue is never mannered, always effortlessly natural. Where The World Is Thin is a charming album. Confident and mature in its content, and beautifully performed. A fine treat as the nights draw in.
Out on 2 October 2020 (CD/Digital – Vinyl coming soon) – Reveal | Bandcamp