Granny’s Attic: The Brickfields

For their third album, the magnificent Granny’s Attic let the music do the talking with an all-instrumental collection of both original and traditional tunes. But, even without voices, their irrepressible energy and virtuosity still shine through.

Granny’s Attic – The Brickfields

Grimden Records (GRICD005) – 8 October 2021

Since their last album in 2019, the exceptional Wheels of the World, two members of Granny’s Attic have produced impressive solo albums: Guitarist and singer George Sansome with a self-titled collection in 2020 (reviewed here), and singer and squeeze-box player Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne’s Rakes & Misfits from last year (reviewed here). These releases showcased both their instrumental and vocal prowess, but with The Brickfields, they are both reunited alongside Lewis Wood once again and deliberately ploughing a different furrow.

The term brickfields refer to a field where the topsoil is removed to get to the clay underneath that’s then used to make bricks. After use, many were replanted, producing a thriving habitat for flora and wildlife. The liner notes for the album reflect on how this echoes the process of playing traditional music – digging deep to uncover long-forgotten music and providing fertile ground for new material, as evidenced here. It’s an appropriate metaphor, for all three band members contribute original material which is of such a high standard that, alongside some well-chosen traditional tunes, makes for an incredibly coherent album.

“The instrumental side of English traditional music is an absolutely vital part of our music and the wider scene,” says Granny’s Attic violin player Lewis Wood. “We feel that it’s sometimes overlooked, so it’s nice to make an album focusing on this side of the band. When we started playing together, instrumental music was very much our focus, so it’s really interesting to see how we’ve evolved as musicians and composers since then.” Throughout Brickfields, the musicianship is top-notch, leaving no doubt that, both as musicians and composers, they have not only evolved but excelled. They also go the extra mile to seek original tunes that will be new to many, even to those well-versed in English folk music.

The album opens with the lively Cruds & Cream/Jig From New Harmony, which builds from a gentle opening, showcasing Cohen’s elegant and meticulous concertina playing. The track builds as his two bandmates join him in full flight. It’s a choice opener with Cruds taken from the recently published “The Great Northern Tune Book” (edited by Matt Seattle) and the jig from an 1826 manuscript from New Harmony, Indiana, discovered via the Village Music Project website (https://www.village-music-project.org.uk/). Their playing has an exuberant feel, almost celebratory, and so it should be after the enforced separation they’ve experienced. The playing throughout the album is pin-sharp and dynamic, ample evidence of a trio that have honed their craft over the years.

Odd Thoughts/Jame’s Maggots is more mysterious and wistful, continuing with the traditional tunes that open the album – the first appears in Thomas Straight’s 24 Favourite Dances for the Year 1783, while Jame’s Maggots was also discovered via the clearly fruitful Village Music Project. It’s a violin-led piece with the others ably adding drama and embellishment until the second tune kicks in with Cohen taking the lead as the tempo rises, making an exhilarating listen in which the interplay is simply breathtaking.

Considerate Birders, written by George for two friends’ wedding, is appropriately romantic, led by his assured finger-picking. The old and the new are then paired with the traditional Rakes of Kirby pitched alongside a Cohen original, Will Grimdon’s No 2. As well as co-producing with Granny’s Attic, Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Ian Stephenson recorded and mixed the album. There’s a beautiful warmth to these recordings and even the clicks of the buttons of Anglo Concertina are a joy to hear. This detail in the sound provides nuance and character throughout. Later we are then led on a jaunty trek through the trees on George’s original Queen’s Wood, although it’s Lewis’ violin that shines here.

Devil’s Arch, written by Cohen, is suitably sinister, providing a darker counterpoint for the more vivacious material. The tone shifts to sadness in Highfield’s Lament, a gentle air written by Lewis in remembrance of a pub in Southampton, now paved over, which they replaced with a car park. But reflection is soon turned more optimistic as the uplifting 200 Miles South West brightens the scene.

Cohen’s Boxing Day expertly captures the mood of the day – still a little festive but at the pressure is off. It is paired with the title tune, The Brickfields, a traditional dance that can be found on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website. You can order The Brickfields Tunebook as a downloadable PDF via their website if you fancy playing along.

Closing the album is Watt’s Reel, which provides a joyous and effervescent ending to an outstanding collection. Even more remarkable is that the album was recorded in just three days, with the band playing live in the studio with no overdubs. While this may have added to the pressure of recording, it enhances the listening pleasure, with the music maintaining a nice dramatic edge throughout. With the mix of traditional and original, pace and mood, it makes for an engaging album that holds together perfectly, best appreciated by listening from start to finish. It’s a rewarding experience that is sure to draw the listener back as you discover further embellishments and moments on repeated listens.

Granny’s Attic’s bold decision to record an all-instrumental album pays off in droves. With The Brickfields, they have secured their place as one of the most exciting and accomplished English folk acts on the scene right now.