The connection between nature and folk song is all too often – the odd number about fox hunting apart – bright May mornings hearing larks trilling over head as the plough boy begins his day. Well, plough boys aren’t around in great numbers these days, bright May mornings might be common enough but it’s a while since I heard a lark in the fields around my house and that’s worrying. Truth to tell, this third studio release, fourth over all since there’s also a live album in the Spell Songs series, highlights the disturbing fall in numbers of most bird populations in the UK. As with others it comes with a book alongside from the good offices of Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris ‘The Book Of Birds :A Field Guide To Wonder & Loss.’ A telling subtitle if ever there was one.
Musicians in collaboration include Kris Drever, Julie Fowlis, Rachel Newton, Karine Polwart, Beth Porter, Seckou Keita and Jim Molyneux, who does a good Stephen Stills impression handling piano keyboards, drums, synths, assorted percussion. The music is based around all things avian though a couple of tracks use birds as a contrast to current events, ‘Bells Fall Still’ a cowrite between Drever and Polwart is a deep dive into the human condition and the parlous state that is in. Which begs the question when we can’t respect each other how can we be trusted caretakers of the natural world?
The majority of the pieces though flow together easily and create images which spring readily to mind, certainly so on ‘Migration’ a gentle rush weaving a tapestry of vocals/instruments in a rock context, wherein the facts that birds transend continents are reflected neatly. ‘Flight’ similarly creates a collage of images as if birds are taking wing in front of you. The most touching and therefore effective of all the tracks though is ‘Taladh Nan Eun’ subtitled (Lullaby Of The Birds,) a breathy piece of Gaelic with harp, a great vocal African interjection from Keita of an old saying about changes through out life. It’s a gossamar delicate piece which really shows how the musicians have easily found common ground and purpose.
Altogether this is a haunting, seductive piece of work which whilst having its birth in the folk scene should be seen as music with relevance in a far wider context. Despite its charms ‘In Thin Air’ gives you much to ponder and think on. Let’s hope those with the actual power to do something about the decline of nature, do something that is as effective as this album. We can but hope. Meantime I’ll keep looking and listening for a lark.
Simon Jones.
www.hudsonrecords.co.uk
