Unthank : Smith – Nowhere And Everywhere

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In a fusion of musical styles, Rachel Unthank of sibling folk duo The Unthanks and Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith come together to create a stunning celebration of telling stories.

Born out of a backstage conversation at an Africa Express concert, Unthank : Smith’s Nowhere and Everywhere, co-produced by David Brewis, marks an exciting direction for the unlikely duo. A collection of traditional folk and new songs inspired by old tales, Nowhere and Everywhere is, at its core, a meditation on the power of folk music to narrate stories. As Smith explains, ‘folk music, as I see it, has always revolved around the everyday experiences of ordinary working people, and the songs are almost commemorations of people’s lives’.

If Unthank and Smith are the narrators, the North East is their stage. The waters of the Tees, Tyne and Wear run through the record and bring with them the stories rooted there. Opener Captain Bover welcomes us into Northumbria, detailing the story of a local press gang through the interchanging dialogue of Unthank and Smith, rich with North Eastern dialect and characterised by their local accents. It’s a bold start to the album without musical accompaniment and distils the pair’s keenness to celebrate the power of voices. As Unthank reflects, “We felt it was important to not sugarcoat our voices– we’re both very direct singers. Starting the album with just our two voices might shock a few Maximo Park fans!”. 

This is not to understate the importance of the instrumental accompaniment, and the clarinet of Faye MacCalman masters both the harmonious and the chaotic to provide moments of calm and disorder throughout the record. Meanwhile, Trembling Bells’ Alex Neilson on percussion brings an almost Pentangle-esq jazziness to tracks such as The Natural Urge, providing bursts of cacophony amongst the minimalist. A rare Unthank original, Seven Tears, strips away this ‘full band’ sound with MacCalman’s hypnotic clarinet serving as the only musical accompaniment. The ethereal harmony of their layered vocals echoes the likes of The Unthanks’ Sorrows Away as it comes to an eerie crescendo. Good luck joining in as this one’s a tongue twister; Slipping, sliding, slithering, shimmering, sea skin shed, hearts are shimmering’. Meanwhile, Smith’s love for the plucky acoustic folk of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch comes through in tracks such as What Maks Makems, a Tom Pickard poem about North East shipbuilding. Lal Waterson cover, Red Wine Promises, breaks the spell of musically accompanied tracks, carried by the harmonies of Unthank and Smith in a quiet moment of lightheartedness.

But the record is at its best during points of poignant reflection. Robert Kay, one of Smith’s originals, commemorating a fallen First World War soldier, is one of the album’s most powerful moments, testament to Smith’s lyrics; When I was nineteen, I had dreams like you. His urge to share people’s experiences through folk music is distilled in moments such as these, where Nowhere and Everywhere becomes a commemoration of the stories of those who cannot tell them. 

It wouldn’t be a self-respecting trad folk album without an epic ballad, and Lord Bateman firmly ticks this box. A reworking of Chris Wood’s version, the epic dramatism of this track revitalises the album with its energetic cacophony of sound, underscored by Smith’s fuzz guitar that we hear earlier on in O’ Mary Will You Go. Horumarye follows, taking us to the moors of North Yorkshire and Teesside in an eerie Graeme Miles cover. Unthank explains that she sees ‘Horumarye’ as ‘the sound the wind makes whistling over the moors’, and MacCalman’s clarinet steals the show with its haunting replication of these winds. Unthank and Smith’s voices subside to leave us with the cacophony of dissonant clarinet and percussion, alone with the Horumarye. 

Away from the moors, Nowhere and Everywhere finishes where it started, with Unthank and Smith’s unaccompanied voices as they tell us a final story. Unthank explains how The King (a traditional folk song also known as The Wren) takes her back to Greetham village pub, and for a couple of minutes, Unthank and Smith take us with them. It’s a warm ending, reminding us once again of the power of voices to pass on stories, experiences and traditions. Nowhere and Everywhere is a triumph, an amalgamation of musical style and defiance of genre, one that celebrates and commemorates the experiences of ordinary people. They’re even kind enough to see us out: And we’ll bid you adieu, great joy to the new.

Unthank : Smith UK Tour

Unthank : Smith will tour the UK in March / April 2023. The full live schedule is below.

26 Mar – St Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
27 Mar – The Empire, Belfast, UK
28 Mar – Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin, IE
29 Mar – Jimmy’s, Liverpool, UK
30 Mar – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, UK
31 Apr – Howard Assembly Hall, Leeds, UK
02 Apr – Wylam Brewery, Newcastle, UK
04 Apr – Cecil Sharp House, London, UK
05 Apr – Komedia, Brighton, UK
06 Apr – Trinity Centre (Fyfe Hall), Bristol, UK
07 Apr – Band On The Wall, Manchester, UK

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