Rupert Wates - Elegies

  by Julie Cruickshank

published: 5 / 12 / 2023

---

Rupert Wates, born in London and now based in New York City, has released his twelfth album, ‘Elegies’ in the wake of his success last year with the acclaimed ‘For the People’. A virtuoso folk guitarist, Wates has based many of the songs in ’Elegies’ on classical and Romantic texts. The album opens with ‘If I Ran To You’, an impressive aureole of bright, lively finger-picking. ‘Guinevere’ is a sweet exploration of the famous medieval love story; Wates is a fine poet, as his lyrics attest: “Guinevere you are pale and the veil that you wear becomes you ill/I would fain see thee again with your cheeks aflame”. Third track ‘The Storm’ has a brooding feel; Wates conjures an impression of swelling and tumbling waves through his guitar. ‘Lady of the Glades’, loosely derived from John Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’, features rolling picked chords calling to mind Led Zeppelin’s ‘Bron-y-aur’. ‘Cathy’ strays into waltz time, while ‘(Like) Sunrise’ has a delicacy like dawn breaking: “Still pale is the dawn and wet with dew/ Before the sky is clear”. ‘The Man Who Worked in Clay and Stone’ has hints of jazz; ‘On a Midsummer Morning’ is a wistful elegy to time passing. ‘We’ll Go Dancing’ skips and twirls: “We’ll go dancing through the night/By the ancient city lights”. ‘Across the Water’ has the slight underlying drone of a Scottish traditional tune. Final track ‘Winter’ is a song of endings and a fitting coda to a wonderful album. Rupert Wates recorded the whole of ‘Elegies’ in a single day, accompanied on double bass by Trifon Dimitrov. A true troubadour indeed, Rupert Wates' astonishing talents as a guitarist and singer-songwriter are showcased to perfection in this elegant and graceful set of songs.

Track Listing:-

1 If I Ran To You
2 Guinevere
3 The Storm
4 Lady Of The Glades
5 Cathy
6 Like Sunrise
7 The Man Who Worked In Clay And Stone
8 On A Midsummer Morning
9 We'll Go Dancing
10 Across The Water
11 Winter

Band Links:-

https://rupertwatesmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/rwatesmusic

Play in YouTube:-

Have a Listen:-

Post A Comment

---

Comment

Name

your name

Location

ie London, UK

Submit

Check box to submit

Adam Coxon
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson

Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart

Malcolm Carter
Marie Hazelwood
Mark Rowland
Nick Dent-Robinson
Nicky Crewe
Nige Nudds
Philamonjaro
Richard Lewis
Shirley Procter
Spencer Robertshaw
Steev Burgess
Steve Kinrade

Steve Miles
Tommy Gunnarsson
Zena Grieg