The Magpie Arc – EP2
Collective/Perspective – 4 December 2020
If it wasn’t obvious enough from their first release, September’s EP1 (reviewed here), The Magpie Arc like to do things a little differently. For one thing, splitting an album’s worth of material into three separate EPs is an audacious move, and one that shows a willingness to fly in the face of received wisdom. And this is apparent in their music too. Stylistically, the Anglo-Scottish quintet wear their influences proudly. The ghosts of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention mingle with the classic Americana of the Byrds and the Band, and the classic sound is lovingly crafted by musicians with decades of experience between them.
But that introduction makes them sound like mere revivalists. Far from it. There is a paradox at play here – the better they play that so-called classic sound, the fresher and newer it seems. Much of this must be put down to their musical skill and the vibrancy of their collaboration: every note is in the right place, but somehow none of it seems polished or overproduced. There is the impression of liveliness, of music played in small, warm venues for the sheer joy of it.
All the songs on the first release were products of the band’s own writing, and that trend continues on EP2. Nancy Kerr contributes two of the four tracks, including opener Darling Charms, which recalls the meatier moments of The Band’s contribution to Bob Dylan’s Planet Waves, while Kerr relishes her role as folk-rock frontwoman. Her joyous violin playing is also to the fore, and the rhythm section (drummer Tom A. Wright and Alex Hunter on bass) keeps things rolling along. The charms of her other contribution, Cinnabar, are subtler, showcasing Wright’s off-kilter drumming, while Kerr’s voice is a bright shimmer above a quavering guitar line.
Guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson’s songwriting contribution comes in the form of I Should Have Walked. A simple and melancholic intro leads into a wistful, disarmingly beautiful alt-country song lit up by that distinctive guitar sound. Roll Your Stone Away (written by singer and guitarist Adam Holmes along with Wright) again takes its cue from country music, with gutsy guitars and sprightly back-porch violins, but Scotsman Holmes’ singing gives it a recognisably regional flavour.
Overall, the songs on EP2 owe more to American roots music than those of EP1 (which was slightly more skewed towards the early 1970s Brit-folk sound). But when the musicians are as good as this, the influences matter less than the intimacy of the playing, the obvious joy of the collaborative act. This is a group of musicians playing the music that they love, and doing it better than just about anyone else.
Read our interview with The Magpie Arc here: https://klofmag.com/2020/06/interview-the-magpie-arc/
EP2 is available digitally, CD and Limited Edition Vinyl
Order EP1 on Limited Edition 10″ Coloured Vinyl With Digital Download here: https://themagpiearc.com/buy-2/
Download via Bandcamp: https://themagpiearc.bandcamp.com/album/ep2
You can also hear two new tracks from The Magpie Arc on our latest Folk Show here: https://klofmag.com/2020/12/folk-show-episode-88/