Seth Lakeman - Ballads of the Broken Few

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 17 / 10 / 2016

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Review

Having come to public attention when his homemade second album, 'Kitty Jay' earned him a Mercury Prize nomination, Seth Lakeman took traditional folk into the top ten over several major label albums. Now back in the indie sector, the sheen of those major label releases has been replaced with an earthier production on 'Ballads of the Broken Few'. Since leaving Virgin he has returned, with great success to the approach adopted on his earlier albums, recording in unusual locations and letting a sense of place infuse the performances. This time, he recorded live performances in a Jacobean manor house, with Ethan Johns as producer. It is the closest he has ever come to capturing the warmth and energy of his live shows on tape. Along for the ride this time are the three piece trio Wildwoon Kin, a regular support act, who lend their impassioned harmonies and in turn bring the best out of Lakeman. While his time on a major label yielded some of his best work, it occasionally felt if Lakeman was unsure if he should be chasing a mainstream audience. Here, with sensitive production and exceptional collaborators, he seems utterly sure of himself. The qualities that led Lakeman to the top of the folk scene in the first place remain intact – a keen ear for melody, an expressive and urgent playing style and a roving eye for a compelling story. But, this finds him at his most ambitious, drawing on blues and gospel and ensuring that every track stands out. As a collection of songs, it is brooding and intense. While there are echoes of the Lakeman of old on songs like ‘Innocent Child', there is a sense of dark drama that he has never captured before. Without in any way compromising on his commitment to keeping alive traditional folk, he has breathed new life into his performances with the influence of songs from the other side of the Atlantic. If you were of those intrigued by Lakeman when he first broke out of the folk scene, but haven’t kept up with him since, this would be a good time to become reacquainted.

Track Listing:-

1 Willow Tree
2 Silence Reigns
3 Meet Me In The Twilight
4 Stranger
5 Fading Sound
6 Ballad Of The Broken Few
7 Anna Lee
8 Innocent Child
9 Whenever I'm Home
10 Silver Threads
11 Pulling Hard Against The Stream

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/sethlakeman/
http://www.sethlakeman.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/sethLakemanNews
https://www.youtube.com/user/SethLakem
https://plus.google.com/+SethLakemanof
https://www.instagram.com/sethlakemann

Label Links:-

http://cookingvinyl.com/
https://twitter.com/cookingvinyl
https://www.youtube.com/user/cookingvi
https://instagram.com/cookingvinyl/
https://www.facebook.com/cookingvinylr