Jackie Oates
Gracious Wings
Needle Pin Records
2022
Some sixteen-odd years into an illustrious career in folk music, Jackie Oates releases her eighth studio album. Following on from 2018’s intensely personal release, The Joy Of Living, reviewed in Folk Radio by Thomas Blake here, Gracious Wings, see her soaring to even greater heights, as is befitting a two-category BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards winner. Jackie has stories to tell, and she conveys them with great aplomb.
Recorded at a time when she was studying for a Masters Degree in Music Psychotherapy, a shadowing placement in an Oxford hospice has informed aspects of the release. In the wider sense, as Jackie explains, “ I like my solo albums to reflect the time in which I’m recording them and any themes that feel relevant at that point in life’s journey”, but more specifically, Tom Crook, the resident music psychotherapist whom she shadowed, who equated his role to that of ‘Gracious Wings’, a ‘harpy’ from Oxford author Philip Pullman‘s fantasy His Dark Materials, and who also adds vocals on one track.
As with previous albums, the eleven tracks here are an eclectic mix. Traditional English folk songs, which are given new leases of life, are intricately woven with self-composed (or collaborative) compositions, cover versions and even a Euskara (Basque), wool-making song, resulting in a heady mix of aural delights.
Opening with her arrangement of the traditional When I Was A Fair Maid, which she learnt from the singing of Margaret Jeffrey of Blairgowrie, this rousing tale, which I recall being performed by The Dovetail Trio, is another fine example of a song involving a young maid’s deception in pretending to be a male to enlist into the army as a drummer, being successful, only to eventually be betrayed. In addition to Jackie’s five-string viola, Richard Evans, mandolin, John Parker, double bass and Jon Wilks, guitar, provide spritely accompaniment to get the collection off to a spirited start.
The other traditional pieces are equally well-chosen, benefiting from both sympathetic and innovative arrangements. Tammy Toddles, jointly arranged with Mike Cosgrave and learned from Aberdeenshire ballad singer Lizzie Higgins, has a joyful, childlike innocence, matching perfectly the audience to whom it is dedicated. A nautical theme is introduced with The Ship in Distress. Previously recorded by the likes of Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick, this tale of cannibalism narrowly averted is thought to have arrived in its English iteration from the French ballad La Courte Paille (The Short Straw), which in turn derived from the 16th Century Portuguese La Nau Catarineta.
Jackie is joined by fellow Oxfordshire resident John Spiers on the two remaining traditional offerings. The first of these, sung in the original Euskara, Iruten Ari Nuzu (I am Making Wool), with its captivating melody, is a real treat featuring not only John’s exquisite melodeon but also a rare chance to hear his vocal talents. The pair are also given joint-arrangement credits on Lament To The Moon, a maid’s sad lament to her lost fisherman lover featuring haunting, atmospheric viola, ably accompanied by expert melodeon and Anglo concertina and double bass from John’s Spiers and Parker, respectively.
The Robin Tells of Winter/Gracious Wings set is Jackie’s self-composed offering. The former, written during the winter lockdown of 2021, is a gentle, lilting, melancholic song reflecting on the desire to look forward to not only warmer but also less restrictive times. With backing vocals from The Ladies of Nettlebed colleague Megan Henwood, the wonderfully understated melodeon and double bass help the song build as it slides into the album’s titular track, a morris tune written for her partner Jack, featuring an ethereal whistle from Richard Evans. Here is further evidence that Jackie should release more of her own compositions.
Having recorded the Wings E.P. in 2016 with Megan, the pair reunite on the co-written La Llorona, which they composed as the main theme for a one-woman show by Amy Mason entitled Hollering Woman Creek. Given that La Llorona, The Weeping Woman or The Wailer in English, is a Mexican mythical vengeful ghost, possibly dating back to Aztec times, who visits areas mourning her children whom she drowned, it comes as no surprise that the song, despite its waltzy tempo, is rather eerie, indeed creepy.
“Down by the Hollering Creek
You scrub your red hands
And you weep.”
Roobarb and Custard, an instrumental composed by James O’Grady and Mike Cosgrave, provides an interesting diversion around two-thirds of the way through the album. Still, the remaining ‘covers’ provide even greater delight.
Once again, Jackie shows that she has a great propensity, much like The Oysterband and June Tabor, for picking what might be considered “left of field” songs to re-interpret. The first of these is On and On, a chart hit in the 1990s for The Longpigs. This ballad again benefits from more wonderful guitar playing from Jon Wilks and is another track which fully showcases Jackie’s vocal abilities.
A further Ladies of Nettlebed connection is apparent on the album’s 9th track, Looking For My Own Lone Ranger, co-written by Charlie Dore and Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross. That it appears here should not be a surprise as Jackie has played it a few times live, and who can possibly argue with lyrics such as:
“You’ve got to have your own lone ranger
Somebody watching out just for you”?
Charlie is also to be thanked for introducing Jackie to the final track on the album, Time Time Time, a tear-jerking version of Tom Waits’ Time from 1985, which here includes Imagined Village bandmate Simon Emerson and aforementioned Tom Cook on backing vocals. As someone once said, “one of the few artists able to write a four minute novel”.
Gracious Wings, an album underpinned by top-quality musicianship, is another assured and enthralling collection from one of the undoubted talents of the contemporary folk music world.
Gracious Wings is released on 2nd September 2022
Pre-Order Gracious Wings: Bandcamp