In 2017, Nick Hart released his debut solo album ‘Nick Hart Sings Eight English Folk Songs‘. Richard Hollingham reviewed the album for Folk Radio, and he concluded, “Throughout the whole album, there is a sense of Hart enjoying himself, little glints of a wry smile here and there, a little joke held to himself. And, importantly, here is another generation learning from the previous generations, moulding it in some cases but still presenting the tradition. Absolutely excellent.”
His stature and presence on the English folk scene grew very quickly following that striking debut, and in 2019 Nick followed up with, you guessed it: Nick Hart Sings Nine English Folk Songs. Again Richard reviewed the album, concluding that one of the highlights was “Nick’s effortless phrasing, the clarity and simplicity of the song, the voice, the guitar, that entrap the listener and pulls us into the timeless – then and now – world of the folk song.”
On the 29th of April, Nick returns with his third album – Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs. The album was recorded during the 2020 lockdown, and the album announcement is accompanied by a video for his lead single ‘Dives & Lazarus’, which is released today. That comment from Richard above regarding “glints of a wry smile…a little joke held to himself” comes to mind when watching the video. Directed by George Moore, it’s one of the most original English folk music videos I’ve seen in a long time. For all its simplicity, it’s Nick’s portrayal of the club singer that makes it so memorable. His hint of confidence and swagger and the whole off-kilter birthday situation leaves you smiling but ever so slightly unnerved.
As for the arrangements, they are quite unlike any of his previous work and hint at not just the time and energy he has sunk into the album’s creation during lockdown but also how visionary he was when presented with far fewer creative choices. The album’s press notes that: Deprived of a sound engineer and locked away in a house full of strange instruments, he was afforded the time and space to explore different approaches to the accompaniment of traditional song. It also hints that throughout the album, his trademark guitar playing is augmented by harmonium, lyre, viols and a host of percussion and woodwinds. The whole thing has left me feeling genuinely excited about this album. If this is the calibre of what’s to follow then Nick Hart’s third album is sure to feature as one of the best folk albums of the year.
This lead single and video is a tour de force achievement and brilliantly well-executed. More please.
Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs is released April 29 2022 on Roebuck Records via Proper Music Distribution. Catalogue number: RRCD003. Formats: CD/digital download/stream.
Pre-order here: https://nickhart.lnk.to/TenEnglishFolkSongs
https://www.nickhartmusic.com/