Return to their Northern roots
FOLK
W
hile acoustic folk pioneers Megson continue to raise their
profile by picking up rave reviews at festivals and
venues across the UK, their recorded albums are equally as
accomplished, and Take Yourself a Wife marks the third
release in their trio of excellent albums.
Where Smoke of Home had subtle links to their native North-
East, this album has 300 years of North-Eastern history as its
heart and soul: it’s a collection of songs that chronicle the life
and times of real people and communities, and they were all
written by residents of Teesside, Tyneside, County Durham and
Northumberland.
While the songs cover a broad time-scale, none of them ever
feel traditional – the writers of all the songs are known, and
just this small piece of information rather than a ‘trad. arr’ tag
helps put the songs into context, from the light-hearted almost
comical Take Yourself a Wife, through to the protest song The
New Fish Market these are songs that reflect real people and
their everyday lives.
Although only a few years into their career, Megson already
have a distinctive feel to their sound, their bright, fresh
it was meant to be arranged the way Megson present it. In
recordings with the driving, rhythmic mandola and guitar of
truth, that’s the strength of the whole album, the songs may
Stu Hanna, and beautifully clean vocals from Debbie Hanna-
have been written many years ago, but the issues, emotions
Palmer make them instantly identifiable. It’s a sound they
and characters that populate the lyrics still have resonance
continue to build on by adding a small but well chosen range
today; put this together with a contemporary musical
of instrumentation to the mix, including fiddle, bass, mandolin
approach and it makes the disc a compelling and attractive
and concertina; add to this the songs where Stu takes the lead
collection.
and the pieces they share, and they turn a simple duo into a
As an album so proudly and firmly rooted in the North-East,
varied and accomplished acoustic band sound.
you’d expect a few songs relating to the pits and mines of
Stu’s skill as a producer has not gone unnoticed in the folk
the area, and the two they’ve chosen are both evocative and
industry either, and his ability to create a fresh, contemporary
graphic depictions daily life, Fourpence A Day feels like an
sound with traditional instrumentation has been recognised
authentic industrial folksong of the time chronicling work and
with production credits for the recent albums by Benji
conditions; whereas The Oakey Strike Evictions vividly paints a
Kirkpartick, Faustus and Mawkin:Causley.
picture of the ‘Candymen’, the dockers who were recruited as
bailiffs and brought in to evict striking miners.
This sound is best showcased on
Little Joe written by Joe Wilson,
Other songs touch on the wrench of emigration (O Mary
a well known nineteenth
Will You Go), the execution of a street vendor for the murder
Century writer, where the
of her mother (Jane Jamieson’s Ghost) through to the final
fantastic arrangement and
track Sandgate Lassie’s Lament, a song that covers the loss
production make a 150
of a young man press ganged into service in the Navy – it’s a
year old song sound like
tender song that is beautifully sung by Debbie, and a fitting
CTP Template: CD_DPS1
end to an exception
Compact
al
Disc
c
Booklet:
oll
8pp
e
Booklet
Catalogue No.
Job Title
ction.
: EDJ015-8PPBOOKLET(N)
Colours : 4/4, cmyk FRONT & BACK
Take Yourself a Wife is confident
and brave, and even if the
concept of it may at first
glance feel a little odd for a
contemporary young duo,
the execution of it makes
perfect sense: the result is
a mature and expressive
album full of songs
ED
t
J015
hat still
have stories to tell many
years after they were written.
Take Yourself A Wife
EDJ Records
Neil Pearson EDJ5
“This is first rate - if you don’t like this music you have a problem! Peaches and cream harmonies,
melodic roots consciousness and a huge sense of individuality. ” fRoots
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