Review of Scots Women Live From Celtic Connections 2001

Karine Polwart

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Land of origin:

Scotland

Type of music generally:

Gimmicky folk (one anthology of traditional songs)

Status:

Most recent release, Threshold (compilation, 2013); almost recent release of all-new textile, Traces (2012)

Meet also:

Karine Polwart's site

Wikipedia's entry for Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart'due south Facebook page

The Ectophiles' Guide'southward entry for Malinky, the band she used to play with; she also currently sings with The Burns Unit

Comparisons:

A stronger-flavoured Mary Blackness, Maire Brennan, other contemporary folk vocalizer/songwriters

Covers/ain cloth:

Own

General comments:

Karine Polwart has a terrific voice. She too writes lovely gimmicky folk/vocalist-songwriter songs. The but flaw is that she's no longer singing the traditional material she did in the band Malinky where I grew to beloved her. Anyone who is fond of mainstream contemporary folk will almost certainly dearest this solo work: strong tunes, a gorgeous, expressive voice, excellent musicianship. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

Comments about live performance:

I saw Karine Polwart last night at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London (lovely venue, by the way), and she was honestly quite surprised by the number of people who turned out to meet her. (Information technology was a pretty full house.) I think she's withal surprised that people like her, they really similar her.
And in that location'due south a reason for it. She's bully live. I similar her albums, but she's even better live—at that place's something about her—she'due south fresh and earnes—that'southward defenseless amend live than in the studio.
Anyhow, it was a bully nighttime. (iv/ix/08, Silme@ix.netcom.com)

Recommended offset album:

The consensus online seems to be Faultlines is the place to first but I think I really prefer Scribbled in Chalk. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

Recordings:

• Faultlines (2005)
• Pulling Through (EP, 2006)
• Scribbled in Chalk (2006)
• Fairest Floo'er (traditional, 2007)
• This Earthly Spell (2008)
• The-Build-Your-Own-Cathedral (EP, 2009)
• Lau Vs Karine Polwart (EP with Lau, 2010)
• Traces (2012)
• Threshold (compilation, 2013)

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Faultlines

Release info:

2005—Neon Records—NEONCD005

Availability:

U.K.

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for folk fans

Group members:

Karine Polwart—vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar

Guest artists:

Mattie Foulds—drums, percussion
Corrina Hewart—electroharp, harmony vocals
Kevin McGuire—double bass
Steve Polwart—nylon, acoustic, and electric guitars, banjo
Phil Bancroft—tenor sax
Doug Duncan—trumpet
Paul Harrison—hammond
Aidan O'Rourke—fiddle
Dean Owens—harmony vocal
Emily Smith—harmony vocal
Julian Sutton—melodeon

Produced by:

Rab Noakes

Comments:

A strong collection of contemporary folk/pop music with Karine Powart's powerful, lovely vocals. My favourite tracks here are the lively "Only 1 Way" and "Resolution Road", and the story vocal, "Azalea Flower". (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

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Scribbled in Chalk

Release info:

2006—Shoeshine Records/Hegri Music—SPIT028

Availability:

Wide in U.M.

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for folk fans

Grouping members:

Karine Polwart—vocals, acoustic guitar

Guest artists:

The Karine Polwart Band:
Mattie Foulds—drums, percussion
Kevin McGuire—double bass, vocals
Steven Polwart—acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Inge Thomson—pianoforte accordion, melodica, triangle, vocals
Martin Dark-green—Hammond, loops station, Moog, Wurlitzer
Corrina Hewat—acoustic harp, electro harp, vocals
David Milligan—piano
Kerry Polwart—glockenpiel, vocals
Strings by Mr. McFall's Sleeping accommodation:
Greg Lawson—violin
Robert McFall—violin
Brian Schiele—viola
Su—a Lee—cello

Produced by:

Mattie Foulds

Comments:

Wow, Karine Polwart'southward vox but gets better and meliorate. Some of this is a little too country-tinged for me, but I love tracks like the first, "Hole in the Middle", which is only so gorgeous. "Where The Fume Blows" has a funky sound, and "Holy Moses" has especially interesting, clever lyrics. "Baleerie Baloo" is a hauntingly beautiful song about a Scottish woman in Hungary who was transported to Auschwitz for crimes that included crying while sewing Stars of David on children's clothing. I'm also particularly taken by "Terminal Star". Intelligent lyrics, such a terrific voice, and and then highly recommended for folk fans. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)

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Fairest Floo'er

Release info:

2007—Hegri Music—HEGRICD03

Availability:

Broad in U.G.

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for fans of traditional folk

Group members:

Karine Polwart—vocals, acoustic guitar, shruti box, percussion

Guest artists:

Steven Polwart—acoustic guitar, banjo, ebow
Kin Edgar—piano

Produced by:

Mattie Foulds and Karine Polwart

Comments:

I'one thousand non a fan of the kind of contemporary folk Karine Polwart usually does in her solo career, but I loved her piece of work with Malinky, so I took a chance on this ane. I'1000 actually glad I did, every bit I love this anthology. It'due south a gorgeous collection of traditional songs. The product is simple, so the focus is on Karine Polwart's powerfully evocative voice—it will suspension your heart with these ballads. Lovely, lovely stuff. (Neile)

Karine takes a step back from her ain material putting together an album of classics...if yous dig susan mckeown, check out karine... "The Death of Queen Jane" is amazing... (gordodo@optonline.net)

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This Earthly Spell

Release info:

2008—Hegri Music—HEGRICD04

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Karine Polwart—vocals, acoustic guitar, tenor guitar, shruti box

Guest artists:

Mattie Foulds—drums, percussion
Kevin McGuire—double bass, electric bass, vocals
Steven Polwart—acoustic & electrical guitars, banjo, vocals
Inge Thomson—accordion, bass melodica, kalimba, loop station, vocals

Produced by:

Mattie Foulds, Calum Malcolm

Comments:

The new one of original material is good as well. I'd been disappointed by her 2nd solo CD (simply not every bit good as the showtime 1, which was astonishing and won a number of well-earned BBC Folk awards), just I think she's returning to form. (Silme@ix.netcom.com)

A beautiful album, fiercer than Scribbled in Chalk, which I honey too. (JoAnn Whetsell)

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Traces

Release info:

2012—W2 Music—W2BCD9902

Availability:

Broad

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended

Group members:

Karine Polwart—audio-visual & tenor guitar, Indian harmonium, shruti-box, percussion, vocals

Guest artists:

Steven Polwart—acoustic & electric guitars, vocals
Inge Thomson—piano accordion, glockenspiel, percussion, sansula, vocals
Iain Melt—pianoforte, keyboards, percussion
Steven Cowling—horn
Leila Dunn—clarinet
Mattie Foulds—percussion
Sarah Hayes—flute
Tom Poulson—trumpet
Iain Sandilands—marimba, snare, vibraphone
Alex Trotter—trumpet

Produced by:

Iain Cook

Comments:

I'1000 growing so fond of Karine Polwart, and this beautiful album is another reason why. The music is gentle just can too be intense, and the songs bring the stories of different people and their worlds to life. (JoAnn Whetsell)

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Further info:

DVD, Here's Where Tomorrow Starts (2011).

Compilation work includes:

• "Whaur Dae Ye Prevarication" with Elspeth Cowie and "Hallowe'En" with Sheena Wellington on Scots Women: Live from Celtic Connections (2001)
• "Follow the Heron" on The Rough Guide to Scottish Folk (2002) and on Live in Hope: The Wildlife Album two (2006)
• "Holy Moses" on The Audio-visual Matter: Twelve of the Best, Volume One (2006)
• vocals on four tracks on the live album Cold Blow These Winter Winds: A Celtic Commemoration of Christmas (2006)
• "Hobo" and "You Tin can't Weld a Trunk" on The Songs of the Radio Ballads (2007)
• "The Good Years" with Edwin Morgan on Ballads of the Book (2007)
• "Well for Zo�" with Tim O'Brien on Wells for Zoé: Water for Life (2008)
• vocals on eight tracks on the Darwin Song Projection (2009)
• "Scotland Yet" and "Heave Ya Ho" on Steele the Show: Songs From the Heart of Scotland (2011)
• "The Dominicus's Comin' Over the Loma" on Cool every bit Folk (2011)
• "A Difficult Rain's A-Gonna Fall" on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan: A Folk Tribute (2011)
• "What Are You lot Waiting For" on The Crude Guide to Celtic Women (2012)
• "All These Things I'll Do" on Songs from Inspire! (2013)
• "Sorrowlessfield" on The Flooers of the Forest (2013)
• "Lord Yester" with Lau on The Flooers of the Forest (2013)
• "Tinsel Bear witness" on the third edition of The Rough Guide to Scottish Music (2014)

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Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.

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