Ruth Blake - 'Brave Ships' single review

 

The temptation to make comparisons between one singer and another is always there for a reviewer. It’s an easy way to give the readers a point of contact with the music, but it can often sell the artist short. One review of ‘Brave Ships’ compares Ruth Blake to Dido and Jewel which does her a definite disservice. She is far more than the anodyne pop-folk of those two singers. It also takes the focus away from her words. I doubt I’m the first to make comparisons with another Blake, William's, writing but the imagery of ‘Brave Ships’ does feel as if it comes from another better age.

Blake says that the lyrics started from reading Clarissa Pinkola Estes ‘Letter To A Young Activist During Troubled Times’. The message of that piece “Do not lose heart. We were made for these times” runs through ‘Brave Ships’ “Feels like I’m trying to bail us out with a teaspoon. But it’s not just me, there’s a whole fleet coming up behind and it’s what we’re here for”: “We are brave ships sailing the wide waters of the unknown”.

This is a larger production than her previous albums. Produced by Damien Mahoney of Caulbearers, whose single ‘Over Comes A Cloud’ Blake also features on. The string trio lends the feel of an ocean swell, and the rhythm section lock into a subtle groove that helps a near seven-minute song pass in a flash. If you need a musical reference point then Joni Mitchell is the obvious one, although Blake’s voice is closer to Joan Baez and Judy Collins. This is a far more contemporary sound than she has produced on her previous albums. The “B” side ‘I Am’ is a remastered version of a song from her last album ‘Creation’. That and its predecessor ‘Lullabies for Grown-Ups’ would make great purchases for the first Bandcamp Friday of the year on 5^th February. In the meantime, ‘Brave Ships’ is a compelling statement for early 2021 and could well end up on best of lists in 11 months’ time.

Buy it on Bandcamp.

The video that accompanies the single is worth a watch too…

 

And what did 2021 have to offer?

At the start of Lockdown version one, I pointed you at some good music to help make the days pass smoothly. Now we are up to version 3, (does that by the way make the next one lockdown 95) so, here's some more...

I've talked about Continental Record Services and reviewed their albums here and at Americana UK. In fact Emma Swift's 'Blonde on the Tracks' was my album of the year over at AUK. The review of that and a couple of other star releases from them it was posted back in September. 

One that slipped the net was 'Country Darkness', an album of Elvis Costello covers from duo My Darling Clementine and featuring Steve Nieve. Described as an album " that throws a spotlight on 12 hidden gems from the Elvis Costello repertoire and vividly reimagines them in the duet’s definitive country-soul styling". As a casual Costello fan, I didn't know many of these songs so have no points of comparison. And as I was only vaguely aware of the band, they clearly need further investigation. Some similarities in style to Over the Rhine, and praise doesn't get much higher than that. 

Looking at their Bandcamp page I've found that they were also responsible for Hannah Rose Platt's ‘Letters Under Floorboards’, and album I've returned to recently and which I'm pleased to find is still a good one.

I'm listening to a few of their other 2020 releases that I missed. Lynn Miles' ‘We’ll Look for Stars’ is sounding like why I didn’t hear this before moment. I'll report back in a week or so. 

CRS are big on Bandcamp and the good news is that Bandcamp Friday is continuing until at least May 2021. Don't let it put you off buying at other times as their revenue share is quite reasonable, but if you are planning some big buying save your Christmas pennies for February 5th. 

And the even better news. Those nice people at CRS have sent us some thank you's for supporting their artists in 2020. Two free compilations, one based around their Roots/Americana artists which you can grab by clicking here, and one that I'm going to post at my music business page My Musix over on the Facebook. Give me a like while you are there and share anything interesting you find there. The cottage industry that makes up most of the music business needs your support and Continental Record Services, and 160gigblog thank you for sticking with us. 

 

Let's not go there...

With all the year stuff I mean. This is a virus free zone, and I'm happy in my little bubble (damn nearly mentioned it there)...

The last couple of weeks of the year were stupid busy for work, so I've not done a proper end of year review, again. I think I gave the same excuse last year. Anyway I've done plenty of rounding up elsewhere amongst other things I can point you at for satisfying new year reading. 

 First up my review of the Americana year over at AUK. You can read that here. I kept up the fire on the streaming services, and talked about Bandcamp, again. Also some great albums. Jack Henderson's was fab, but was beaten by a whisker to Americana album of year by Emma Swift's 'Blonde on the Tracks'. You can read the whole team's choices here. Alec Bowman wrote a piece explaining all the stuff I've been going on about from the artist's point of view for AUK as well. Read it here and turn your back on Spotify in 2021. 

Over at Duggystone Radio I talked about December, normally a time for stocking filler compilations, which has turned in some cracking music this year. You can read my views on McCartney, Swift, Kim Edgar and Magic Dance, the latter two I've championed before and have turned in the best albums of their careers so far.

The one album that didn't get a mention in all this that has been my most played since its release is Blue Note Reimagined. London Jazz News summed it up as well as I could. It also provides pointers to the original versions. The dominance of Wayne Shorter is interesting with 5 of his tunes covered. Following my February "Giving Snobbery the Byrd" piece, the 70s get a good look in as well, although I'm not sure I can take the credit there...

So, we're still here, and it has been the busiest year yet at 160gigblog. a third more posts than 2019, which probably means I had nothing else to do. If you have been thanks for reading, and those figures are up as well, and here's looking forward to whatever 2021 has to offer.

Over The Rhine - again!

Over at Americana UK, I've made my case for Over The Rhine being the best band in the world. This is not open to negotiation.

Over The Rhine - Streaming Christmas concert December 2020

Over the Rhine have made a tradition of a Christmas tour and particularly hometown concerts at various venues in Ohio, often the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati. Due to the usual reason in 2020, this isn't happening so they have recorded a show that is available to buy and stream. The good news is that those of us in the wider world get invited this time. The link is below and you really should take it up if you can. Being of a cash strapped nature I ended up watching the free stream last Sunday. 

Filmed at their home the set, caught light on the third song, 'Born', a highlight of any show they play it at. The best songs as ever were the ones with the most space, Linford at the piano and Karin just singing. 'All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue' was a highlight of this first part of the set. 'Latter Days' is just one of the best songs of the last 25 years. but this time out there was a difference, the words to 'Silent Night' fitted perfectly into the end of 'Latter Days'. Just great. They finished this segment of the show with 'Bothered', the ideal words for the end of 2020.

They moved to the barn that they have been converting into an arts and performance space for the last few years for the second half of the show. Opening with 'If We Make It Through December' which featured on the 'Blood Oranges In the Snow' album, one of three that I prefer to see as Winter rather than Christmas albums. There was far more between song talk from Linford that is one of the features of an Over The Rhine concert in this section of the show, which was nice as early on they had gone straight from one song to the next. 

Back to the house for the last two Christmas songs. One of the aspects of the band's work that doesn't get enough praise is Linford's piano playing. It really is a highlight for me, and the three solo piano albums he has already out there should be on the shopping list for anyone who likes modern piano (although there is some guitar as well) music, or indeed Chopin. Good to hear on their Facebook recently that his solo album that formed part of a crowd funder a few years ago was likely to appear in February.

Mixing the Christmas songs with some old favourites, at least some of mine, made for a show that covered a lot of ground, and should hopefully attract the casual listener into the fan community. Over the Rhine are a band who inspire devotion from those who find them. If you haven't yet then you should and this concert could be the way. And it was good to see this picture. Nothing wrong with roping in the pets to promote your work...

The show is available for multiple streams at $50.00 at the link here. I supported them through the Paypal link given on the stream, and bought a couple of downloads in their store. If only postage was not so pricey from the US. Still a reason (if one was needed) to go to the next British shows, to buy the CDs I didn't get last time. 

Over The Rhine store

Set List

Broken Angels

Let It Fall

Born

All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue

Anything At All

Latter Days/Silent Night

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Amelia’s Last

Bothered

If We Make It Through December

We’re Gonna Pull Through Sacred Ground

First Snowfall

All I Need Is Everything

The Christmas Song

May God Love You