Ewan D. Rodgers - Tomorrow Might Be Monday

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 12 / 1 / 2013

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Review

Yorkshire born Ewan Rodgers’ second album is also the second release on Folk Police Recordings new sister label, the Northwestern Series. This particular release, apart from being available as a download, gets a physical issue on vinyl and as a limited edition, numbered CD in a card box with an eight-page booklet. It has not reached these hands in that format, but the images of the package on Rodgers’ website are going to make more than a few folk fans dig deep. ‘From Hull, Halifax and Hell’ was Rodgers’ debut release, and a starker contemporary reading of traditional British folk songs it would be hard to find. Rodgers successfully captured the sound and spirit of the era in which the songs were originally written. ‘Tomorrow Might Be Monday’ finds Rodgers travelling further to take in Southern European folk songs and Appalachian mountain songs. Rodgers has added a few originals and, although all these songs are rooted in the folk idiom, other genres are mixed in this collection from delta blues to British Music Hall. Folk Police Recordings can always be relied on to issue folk songs with a twist. Or twisted folk songs perhaps. ‘Tomorrow Might Be Monday’ is no exception. Ewan D Rodgers is still a young man. His vocals confirm this many times, but it’s refreshing to hear these old sounds being introduced to a new generation by one so obviously talented and versed in this particular genre. ‘Tomorrow Might Be Monday’ sounds like an old record. The opening song, the instrumental ‘Il Valzer Dei Disertori’, sounds spooky before you even hear a note of music. The sorrow portrayed by a lone banjo and droning accordion does give way to a little lightness as the song progresses, but it still sounds eerily beautiful. The mixture of folk and blues dominates this album, but there are songs where Rodgers successfully adds even more weird yet wonderful touches. ‘Tumbalalaika’ which Rodgers sings in Yiddish and so which means absolutely nothing to these ears still holds the attention purely by the atmosphere created by the sounds. Rodgers’ longing vocals carry the song, although I was not able to understand a word. There are some welcome female vocals on ‘Paper of Pins’ (the female vocalist is unnamed on the CD we received), and this duet is a highlight of the album. Again it’s authentic sounding folk music, the type that Folk Police Recordings are making a sterling job of keeping alive. Rodgers also makes a good job out of a cover of the Irish ballad, ‘I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen’. Although the song has been covered so many times throughout the years, Rodgers’ atmospheric take actually adds something to the song with clear, pure female vocals taking the lead over Rodgers almost mumbled contribution. It is an entirely different direction than the rest of the album but still sounds right; a beautiful reading of the song. Rodgers world-weary vocals make a more than fair stab at Jake Thackray’s ‘The Black Swan’, and, along with ‘Song for Clive Palmer’, says more about where Ewan D. Rodgers is coming from than any review ever will. Name checking many of his influences in the latter; the song is a perfect introduction to the talent that is Rodgers. Any fan of Davy Graham and Bert Jansch or of folk music in general is going to find plenty to cherish here. It is another fine collection both from Rodgers and the good people at Folk Police Recordings.

Track Listing:-

1 Il Valzer Dei Disertori
2 Blue From The Cold
3 East Virginia Blues
4 Tumbalalaika
5 I Don't Love Nobody
6 Paper of Pins
7 Come Back Babe
8 I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen
9 Country Blues
10 Bitter and Twisted Rag
11 Song for Clive Palmer
12 The Black Swan
13 Aisoun

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/ewandrodgers
http://www.last.fm/music/Ewan+D.+Rodge

Label Links:-

https://folkpolicerecordings.bandcamp.