Show of Hands – Roots 2 (Album Review)

Show of Hands – Roots 2 (Hands on Music) 6th November 2023

Following their 2007 top-selling Roots best-of album, Show of Hands, the West Country partnership of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer mark the second half of their career with Roots 2. This gorgeously packaged, brilliantly curated collection showcases those intervening years: their maturing sound, creative exploration and many collaborations. Steve Knightley and Phil Beer prove they are far more than a duo; they’ve been a folk force of nature for three decades.

Throughout 31 tracks, Roots 2 cherry-picks the tracks that best represent the fascinating musical journey of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer alongside live and alternative versions of familiar songs and a few surprises too. In Phil’s words:

“Many people might be surprised to hear that out of all our albums the best-selling release was Roots 1 ‘Best of’ compilation back in 2007. Now Roots 2 picks up the story of what happened next. It’s certainly been quite a journey since we recorded our first album live at the Bull Hotel, Bridport in the early 90s with a bunch of mates.”

Steve says: “We’ve always strived to evolve and experiment with our sound, all the time staying true to our folk roots. We hope the diversity of this album demonstrates that and it will be a noteworthy addition to our discography. While our endless touring must come to an end the album will be a permanent souvenir of our output and a moment in time. We can’t thank people enough for sticking with us for the last 30 years and sharing the ride!”

One of the most significant changes in the group over this period was the presence of Miranda Sykes, who joined the duo in 2004, providing double bass, backing, and, occasionally, lead singing. She brought a noticeable depth and drive to their later recordings and live performances, a dynamic that was extended further with the addition of Irish percussionist Cormac Byrne in 2012.

The list of collaborators on the album is almost as impressive as the material. It’s a roll-call of some of the finest folk artists of recent times from the UK and beyond: Stu and Debbie Hanna of Megson, Seth Lakeman, Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin, Jackie Oates, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting, Track Dogs, plus their regular keyboard player, Matt Clifford and producer, Mark Tucker (and many more).

This shows a restless drive to move into new musical areas beyond the usual path of traditional folk and contemporary singer-songwriters. The collection covers their last four studio albums: 2009’s introspective Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed, 2012’s fusion of Brit folk and Americana, Wake the Union, the return to more rural folk on The Long Way Home and 2019’s more experimental ensemble piece, Battlefield Dance Floor, plus live recordings.

If you are familiar with their body of work, you won’t need an introduction to Steve’s brilliant songwriting, ranging from forceful numbers like Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed to moments of tenderness, joy, wit and wisdom. No one tackles loss, forgiveness and yearning as insightfully as Knightley. At the same time, Phil Beer provides the perfect virtuoso accompaniment on backing and occasional lead vocals (such as on his excellent cover of Richard Shindell’s Next Best Western), fiddle, guitar, mandolin and all things strung.

They could easily have left it as a duo, but – as noted earlier – the push to explore, mature and collaborate is the highlight of the second half of their career. Show of Hands is much more than Steve and Phil; it is an artistic direction of travel, as noted by the fact that two tracks here, The Lily & the Rose and Sea Glass (both sung by Miranda), don’t feature the core duo at all. And they are both equally brilliant as the rest.

So, for fans, this is a neat way of encapsulating 16 years of musical brilliance in two hours, reminding us what a great back catalogue they have. For me, the highlight was hearing new and familiar songs with Show of Hands in the company of the Madrid-based roots band Track Dogs. The addition of Howard Brown’s trumpet adds a whole new dimension to Columbus (Didn’t Find America), as does the entire group on the four tracks they feature. For some inexplicable reason, I’d never listened to The Dog Show Sessions album they are taken from. But I definitely will now.

The only sad aspect of this is that we are unlikely to enjoy Roots 3 a few years down the line as, after 4,500 gigs and 35 albums, Steve and Phil have announced ‘an indefinite break’ after a final Winter tour with Miranda and the very last duo tour next year. After three decades at the top of the premier league of folk acts, no one would deny Show of Hands their final curtain call. Their legacy is so many memorable and passionate live performances and inspiring collaborations, bringing many new folk artists to the fore. The good news is that we still get Steve and Phil as solo performers. But, for now, they leave us with a peerless body of work encapsulated and distilled in this exemplary best-of collection.