Stray Birds

How does one define folk music? It appears to be a genre that is saturated because anyone who picks up an acoustic guitar and sings over it is immediately pigeonholed as a musician of the genre. On top of this are a generation of artists with a dreadful retrospective on the bygone folk rock era who much like other contemporary manifestations of nostalgia seem to miss the point entirely. While new subgenres have emerged that provide often excellent innovations on the formula, the true and honest beauty of what was created during the golden era of folk music seems to have somewhat lost its voice.

Indeed, the magically profound and loving vocals of folk music that were made prominent through singers such as Sandy Denny, Jacqui McShee and the more recent renaissance of Vashti Bunyan in many ways further illustrate another element to this genre’s diminished prevalence; the female voice. That is to not undermine the many wonderful female vocalists who perform today, but there have been few singers that managed to capture that wonder of a past time.

It is with great pleasure therefore to delve into the world of ‘Stray Birds’ a striking album by singer, songwriter and poet Autumn Grieve. We recently commented on her work as one part of duo *AR. On that album, listeners were limited to a voice void of lyrics and while unmistakably beautiful, it is a real joy to hear Autumn’s voice in both tonal and poetical glory throughout this record.

After a short opening of acoustic guitar we are drawn into the vocals. Backed by strings Autumn announces herself, “When I shine/It reflects the depths in you/All my trust within my palms/I offer open to you.” Indeed the song, entitled ‘Alight’ and the first of six on this album, introduces us not only to the recurrent theme of love, but also to the element of Air which was the inspiration for this record. We hear of this as she sings, “You’d think that I’d have flown by now/You’d think that I’d have learned to revel somehow/But it came down like death and though alight where I may now/Here at your feet I remain.”

On ‘Within Hollows’ a guitar, strings and cymbals introduce this mysterious and stormy song. As the cymbals crash creating musical waves and the strings and guitars combine to create an unsettling scene, Autumn’s chorus rings true; “See how dark the heart as cold as waves that ride a coal dark sea/See how dark the heart as rootless as waves that ride a coal dark sea.”

‘Shades’ steps into more sombre territory, but we hear a full range to Grieve’s enchanting voice. As the title suggests, we learn of the darkness and light that clouds our existence as she sings “As the day does dim/Nods into the dusk/I await the pollinating stars.” This rich imagery continues on tracks ‘Revenants’ and ‘Depart.’ On the former, prevalent strings support the eerie vocals, “In a kindness that will not sustain but instead will undo/And I go like a stone to a spark/I go a revenant to flesh/I am the ship foundering in the darkness.”

Closing track ‘Kneel’ is a work of true grace. The stark beauty found throughout the record build to a crescendo on this number where echoed vocals work in tandem with the ever present guitar and strings. Here, her lyrics abide closely with nature “The fern, the moss and the willow/The hare and the thorn/The scar, the rake and the hollow/All fall.”

Richard Skelton provides expert support in his accompaniment, never once intruding on the main performer, but ensuring she is comforted in masterful hands. In true fashion of Corbel Stone Press, the packaging is second to none. A now sold out edition also contained a book of poetry, but the standard edition still comes beautifully pressed with a bespoke owl print on each copy. However, the real centrepiece of this record is the artist herself. Autumn Grieve, whose voice compares well with Denver folk singer Carla Sciaky, successfully captures the beauty of folk song writing from yesteryear without feeling like a contrived reminiscence. For this is music bound by no time and unlike the roaming birds in this album’s title, we hope Autumn Grieve proves to be anything but a stray musician as her music deserves to be heard by many.

- Review by Josh Atkin for Fluid Radio

www.autumngrieve.com
www.corbelstonepress.com