Music in a world turned upside down

- Nettlebone, 100 mile house and Douglas MacGregor reviewed

Distracted by world events and global pandemics we could be forgiven for being too preoccupied over the past couple of two years to notice some fascinating albums that were quietly released into a world gone mad or, as one of the artists reviewed here put it, a world turned upside down. So, as a public service, here’s a little recap of what you might have missed...

Nettlebone’s Revel and Rhyme 

Revel and Rhyme is a serious-minded collection of original ballads in the English folk song tradition. The opening track 'World Turned Upside Down' makes it clear these are songs of dissent, calling for 'No kings, no queens, no lords above, no walls to come between us'. The sentiment of the lyrics remains uncannily topical in these times of post-Brexit Britain and a divided America, struggling to recover from Trump’s presidency.  

The album is the handiwork of brothers Dominic and Justin Forrest. Dominic provides a bedrock of Irish bouzouki, mandolin and guitar and the sound is greatly enriched by the addition of Jon Loomes' hurdy-gurdy, fiddle and viola and Jude Rees' distinctive flourishes of oboe, shawm, crumhorn, recorder and flute (which provide a pleasing early music feel.)

The Forrest brothers know their anti-establishment history: 'A Revel' celebrates Wat Tyler (leader of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381) and the radical priest John Ball; 'Anna Pink' concerns a renowned 18th-century merchant vessel while 'Towton' commemorates a decisive battle in the Wars of the Roses. It's all stirring stuff, but, while inequality and injustice persist, I think Nettlebone could allow themselves to sound even more outraged.

100 mile house’s Love and Leave You (on Fallen Tree Records)

As the title suggests 100 mile house's second album is all about relationships and loss. Love and Leave You is unflinching in its acknowledgment of life's inevitable sadnesses. The eleven songs cover themes including depression, parental alcoholism, difficulties starting a family, the breakdown of sibling relationships, the loss of a child and caring for a partner with dementia.

If all of this sounds rather too melancholic the album is also a celebration of human warmth and resilience. As the lyrics of 'Grateful' observe: 'If it wasn't for our darkness we wouldn't know what we're made of.' The moral of 'Like Each Day' - a beautifully-crafted family saga - is that, whatever life throws at us, we should live each day as if it's our last.

This oddly-named Anglo-Canadian duo (named after a town in British Columbia) are husband and wife Peter Stone and Denise MacKay. Stone's vocal delivery, always understated, is reminiscent of John Gorka and Leonard Cohen. With sympathetic, delicate touches of mandolin and violin, the songs' narratives are all the more emotionally powerful for their matter-of-fact restraint and uncluttered arrangements.

Douglas MacGregor’s Songs of Loss and Healing 

Finally, Songs of Loss and Healing. This is the third solo album by accomplished London-based classical guitarist Douglas MacGregor. A deeply personal project, it explores the connections between music, loss and healing - MacGregor experienced delayed grief, twenty-five years after the death of his mother to cancer when he was only seven.

The album is emotionally challenging - a musical journey through grief - so it's unsurprising that there are few strong melodic themes to hook us in; instead there are scattered, searching motifs and an emphasis on creating a mood evoking the confusion and uncertainty of loss. 'The Pathway' hovers between major and minor, as if battling not to stray into sadness. 'New Beginnings' starts tentatively, as if it dare not hope that grief can be resolved.

One of the most appealing tracks is the waltz 'Song for Lost Childhood', which reminded me of Freddie Phillips' music from 'Trumpton' and 'Camberwick Green' - TV delights of my own lost childhood.

Songs of Loss and Healing is an honest, brave project that celebrates the power of music in grief.  

Douglas also has an excellent website dedicated to exploring the power of music in grief: 
https://www.songsoflossandhealing.com/