OR   Search for Artist/Title    Advanced Search
 
you are not logged in...  [login] 
All Reviews    Edit This Review     
Review: 'WATERSON, MARRY & OLIVER KNIGHT'
'The Days That Shaped Me'   

-  Label: 'One Little Indian'
-  Genre: 'Folk' -  Release Date: '28th March 2011'

Our Rating:
Marry (Maria) Waterson and Oliver Knight are the daughter and son of the late Elaine (Lal) Waterson so, as part of the Waterson-Carthy dynasty, they belong to one of British folk's most revered families.

Yet, nothing in the fourteen songs on this marvellous album shows that they are in any way in thrall to tradition or burdened by the weight of expectation. "It's our heritage and it's definitely in there, but we have our own style and we're not beholden to it". says Marry.

In actual fact, given that Marry Waterson (Maria Gilhooley) has established herself as a successful sculptor the likelihood of such an album seeing the light of day was never a forgone conclusion.

The shock of her mother's sudden death in 1998 temporarily stifled any ambitions of being a singer Marry might otherwise have nurtured : "it took me nine years to be able to sing the music that had been the soundtrack to my life". , she says.

Marry had previously sung with Oliver on the song My Sweet Lullaby from his 1992 'solo' album (Mysterious Stranger) but the seeds of this album were properly sown when the Waterson family were booked to appear at a Lal Waterson tribute concert at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2007 . Here, Marry, accompanied by Oliver, performed an emotionally charged version of Fine Horseman, a track from the acclaimed album, Bright Phoebus, their mother made with their uncle Mike in 1972.

Oliver was subsequently asked to coordinate another tribute concert (Blue Moon)with James Yorkston for the BBC Electric Proms and the two performed together again.

By their account these shows opened the floodgates for a creative flow that quickly produced an album's worth of material.

Clearly, Oliver's skills as a guitarist and sound engineer helped the project to fly so serenely. It helps too that Oliver's versatile style owes as much to his love of blues and prog-rock as it does to traditional folk.

He already had the rich experience of collaborating with Lal Waterson on her 1996 album Once In A Blue Moon and again the posthumously released A Bed Of Roses. On top of this he has become a highly regarded producer through his work with artists such as Martin Simpson and Chumbawumba.

Another factor in the album's favour lies in the wealth of talent the two are able to call upon. Kathryn Williams co-wrote Father Us and Secret Smile, and sings harmonies on both; cousin Eliza Carthy plays fiddle on a couple of tracks and sings lead on The Loosened Arrow , James Yorkston duets with Marry on Yolk Yellow Legged which he also co-wrote and Reuben Taylor, one of Yorkston's Atheletes, adds subtle piano textures to Run To Catch A Kiss.

These are bonuses that add to the depth of the material, although the strength of the record is mainly down to the talents of Marry and Oliver.

With no formal musical training, Marry's voice is sweet yet boldly resonant. Her instinct for what works is obviously part of her DNA. From her mother she has learnt that the best songs are not always from the obvious sources. Curse The Day, for example draws on her experience of PMT: "I just sing whatever comes into my head and Olly helps me structure it", she claims, modestly.

The single, Windy Day, has a jazzy feel to reflect the Autumnal mood but lines like "emerge, unfold, shed the old" draw upon more than simple observations of a change of season.

Angels Sing is specifically about her mother and Rosy uses lines Lal wrote but there is never a sense that this is a mere tribute album. Marry's rebellious spirit of needing to find her own voice comes through in Sleeping Flame where she sings: "My mother said I'd make my bed - I'll sleep in it upside down, I said". Oliver's harsh stabs of electric guitar on this track add force to his sister's words.

The Gap is my personal favourite with its beautifully lilting melody and defiant lyrics that hint at an assertive philosophy of not suffering fools gladly or passively following convention : "I'm the gap in your rose-tinted mentality".

Whatever it is that shapes such tunes, nothing on this record feels contrived or forced. Instead you are treated to a genre-defying collection that resonates with beauty and confidence.

Marry Waterson & Oliver Knight's Website
  author: Martin Raybould

[Show all reviews for this Artist]

READERS COMMENTS    10 comments still available (max 10)    [Click here to add your own comments]

There are currently no comments...
----------



WATERSON, MARRY & OLIVER KNIGHT - The Days That Shaped Me
WATERSON, MARRY & OLIVER KNIGHT - The Days That Shaped Me