The health of any genre of music can be judged by the age of its participants. If this is true, then the English folk tradition is in very good condition indeed. Recent albums by Eliza Carthy have inspired the older generation to create some of their best works ever. Norma Waterson, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Bert Jansch have all released extraordinary albums which have been fired by the heat given off by the younger generation. One of English folk's brightest young talents is the extraordinary singer, Kate Rusby. little lights is her third album. It was originally recorded for the little label run by her Mum & Dad (Pure Records) but has found broader distribution in America by Compass Records.
Kate's second album, Sleepless, won several major awards, including the Mercury Prize as one of the 12 best albums of 1999. It won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Album of the year for 2000. It appeared on Q magazines top 50 albums of '99 list and on Mojo's list of the 12 best folk albums ever, and this new album should be just as successful!
Kate mixes traditional songs with a well chosen cover and a handful of original songs. The album begins with a traditional lyric put to music by Kate. "Playing of Ball" tells the tale of love, and tragedy, done in Kate's haunting voice with accordion backing. "I Courted A Sailor" is a lighter tune, a lighter lyric and a sprightlier Kate on vocals. The guitar is exquisite, played by Ian Carr. Rhythmic and brisk, assisted by just a touch of banjo and tin whistle! Lovely.
"Withered and Died" is a song by Richard Thompson, once covered by Elvis Costello. Here Kate does it as mournful and melancholic as Thompson's lyrics require. The acoustic guitar (this time by John Doyle) has a dulcimer sound, supported by a bottom heavy double bass, and a subtle fiddle part which echoes the misery of the singer.
Guitars, accordions, fiddles and whistles. Spare but evocative instrumentation pushes Kate's clear voice to the forefront. And a wonderful instrument it is! "Merry Green Broom," "Some Tyrant" and "Matt Hyland" are traditional lyrics sung to new melodies provided by Rusby. Some of the melodies are echoes of traditional tunes but with a freshness as fair as Kate herself.
Kate's original songs are also mournful and introspective. They deal with the same subject matter as the traditional songs. Unrequited love, quarrels, misunderstandings, lost love and all the inherent problems of being a human being. They are universal concerns presented in a universal language. The language of song. One can hear the melancholy in Kate's voice, in the instrumentation. It is an emotional record which pulls a tear from the sympathetic listener.
One highlight is the choice from the hymnbook "Canaan's Land." It has been the trend for English folk singers to feature a hymn from time to time, and this listener loves to hear the familiar melodies done in a different way, the familiar lyrics read in a new voice. Kate Rusby unites the sorrow and joy of the gospel as she sings, "the soul of man never dies."
Kate Rusby is a beautiful girl, and as such she is being presented by some as the latest "folk-babe." She is more than that: she is a fresh new voice on the horizon. One of a few little lights brightening the darkness!
