Ninebarrow – A Pocket Full of Acorns
Winding Track – 5 March 2021
Dorset duo Ninebarrow delight once again with their fourth full-length album, a classy collection that plays to their strengths: heartfelt original songs, traditional folk and fine covers. And, of course, their ‘to-die-for’ harmonies that soar them among the top flight of contemporary British folk acts.
Back in April 2016, I interviewed Jon Whitley (vocals, ukulele, tenor and octave mandola, piano and reed organ) and James LaBouchardiere (vocals and reed organ) for Folk Radio. Apart from being jolly nice and very talented chaps, they also had big dreams. Their musical ambitions and early success prompted them to quit their day jobs and pursue recording and performing full-time. ‘In a perfect world we’d love to do lots of gigs,’ said James. And that’s what they did… until the perfect world came to a sudden lockdown early last year.
But they seized opportunity out of the crisis and set about staging some of the most sophisticated and inventive online gigs around. By doing so, they managed to keep their fanbase entertained and engaged whilst picking up a few more ‘Barrow Bods’ on the way.
And to consolidate this success, they have released possibly their strongest, definitely their most ambitious album to date. Last year should have seen the launch of the Ninebarrow band – another ambition they excitedly told me about five years ago – expanding their lineup to include Lee Mackenzie on cello, John Parker on double bass and Evan Carson on percussion. The tour wasn’t to be but the band’s talents add an extra sparkle to many of the tracks on A Pocket Full of Acorns.
The standout band lineup track, Cry Unity, comes three-quarters of the way in. It’s a rollicking stomp, a call to arms based on a William Barnes poem, but adapted for our troubled current times. It certainly has more grit than much of Ninebarrow’s earlier material and presents a welcome new direction. Something to look forward to when the band tour finally happens…
But there is also much to enjoy from the classic Ninebarrow approach: tasteful and evocative musical arrangements topped off with gorgeous harmonies. A standout for me was Nestledown, it’s a song about the turning of the seasons, inspired by the life of the Dartford Warbler. James takes lead vocals and it’s an opportunity for him to shine, backed by Jon’s evocative mandola plucking and vocals.
Like all of Ninebarrow’s albums, the standard CD version only offers part of the picture. To accompany the album is a lavish 32-page Songbook (available separately). Not only does it include stunning photos to illustrate each song, but also full lyrics and insights into the stories and creative process.
Under The Fence is sure to become a Ninebarrow classic. It weaves the traditional Cold, Haily, Windy Night with the contemporary issue of Syrian migrants seeking refuge from brutal conflict in their home country. The Songbook reveals the origins of the song, formed when the pair watched a documentary about life in a refugee camp in Calais.
The title track is a beautiful song both in its construction and intent. It was inspired by the story of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood (Lord Nelson’s right-hand man in the Napoleonic wars) who lamented the loss of oak trees cut down to build the British fleet. So Collingwood took to carrying acorns with him in his pocket to plant and replenish the stock.
But it’s not just a song of historical interest, the story challenged the duo to consider how they could offset their touring carbon footprint. And alongside creating the song, Jon and James are planting (even as I write this review) a three-acre field of saplings in Dorset, including 500 oaks alongside hundreds of other native trees.
The Ninebarrow Woodland tells you everything you need to know about these remarkable human beings. They really do go the extra acres in everything they do. Ninebarrow are a class act, they treat their fans like their friends, and richly deserve the love and affection they receive in response. This is an album that expresses the passion that they have for life and the care they exude for the natural world. From small acorns, they have grown into mighty oaks.
A Pocket Full of Acorns is released today (5th March) on the Winding Track label on (CD and DL format), available from the Ninebarrow website www.ninebarrow.co.uk