Various Artists - Ballads of the Book (Chemikal Underground)
4/5
By: Chris O'Toole
The brainchild of the diminutive but consistently entertaining Roddy Woomble, 'Ballads of the Book' collects together the cream of Scottish artistic society in one place. It is a collaborative effort between a number of established and up and coming musicians and their literary counterparts, with writers of prose and verse proving the lyrics for the musicians to frame. The seeds of the project were sewn when Idlewild sought the assistance of Edwin Morgan during the recording of their 'Remote Part' album in 2003, and based on the success of this project decided to expand the idea to a range of other artists.
Quietly off the radar Scotland has nurtured an iconoclastic, intricate and artistically vibrant musical scene. Whilst some of the better known names, including Belle and Sebastian, Idlewild and Arab Strap, have broken the surface of the mainstream media like peaks of icebergs in North Atlantic, the rest have remained hidden from view. It is these artists that have come to the fore here. 'Ballads of the Book' does not rely on the star power of the few recognisable names on the billing, but instead explores the depth and breadth of talent available in a relatively insular community. It is a project build upon democratic song writing and collaboration between exciting artists in a number of fields, allowing each artist the freedom to excel and demonstrate their talent in a range of disciplines. For example, not many outside of a small need-to-know circle can have heard of Alistair Roberts, or King Creosote, but to the few that have had the opportunity to hear such artists they represent the contemporary zenith of Scottish recording.
Recruiting the label Chemikal Underground to release the project, 'Ballads of the Book' began to take shape at the end of 2006. The results are eclectic, and might be expected from such a diverse range of artists, but they also have a uniform air of exhalant triumph mixed with a sense of disbelief and eventual melancholy. It is a sound you have come to expect from Scottish artists, as if they themselves cannot believe their immediate and singular talents.
The album opens with the Incredible String Band's Mike Heron interpreting the work of the poet John Burnside. The mournful vocal line tells a tale of unavoidable personal decline and his hung around a surprisingly jaunty piano melody to provide a delightful juxtaposition; at once a warning and a pleasure. As an album opener it is perhaps misguiding, as the following 'Steam Comes of Our House' by De Rosa lifts the mood, incorporating a legion of backing vocalists into a more recognisable rock track. Fox Face, matched with Rody Gorman, following this positive essence to provide a barn storming version of 'Dreamcatcher'.
The luminaries of Scottish rock are also well represented here. Aidan Moffat is paired with Ian Rankin, in perhaps the most star studied billing, to perform the 'Sixth Stone'. As is perhaps to be expected of both writers the track is filled with black comedy, overwrought emotion and deadpan delivery, and is one of the highlights. James Yorkston is similarly triumphant when teamed with Bill Duncan. Yorkston employs his rich, full bodied voice to inform Duncan's bitter tale with exceptional weight and sincerity, beyond the sum of its parts. Sons and Daughters also come out fighting, with 'The War on Love Song', which has the sound of Wild West desperados in their more intimate moments.
Vashti Bunyan, making the most of her return to the spotlight in recent years is here teamed with Rodge Glass to perform a track entitled 'The Fire'. The refrain states that "What matters most is how you walk through the fire" in an apparent reference to the book of poetry of the same name by Charles Bukowski. The track is at once mournful and optimistic, in a similar vein as work by Strike the Colours and Aereogramme, all of which convey a mixed bag of emotions in a single track.
Whilst there are no performances from Snow Patrol, Reindeer Section, Mogwai or the aforementioned Belle and Sebastian, Scotland is here shown in the brightest of lights. The musicians present provide a heart-warming tour of their musical heritage; whimsical, irreverent, informed and articulate. The results are incredible in their range, filled with poignant reflection and reluctant optimism; a real eye opener to a hidden world filled with secrets.
Artists in this article: Various Artists
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