Much travelled and well respected Yorkshire troubadour Sam Barrett treats us to a live recorded album of traditional English folk and Americana.
Release Date: 1st March 2024
Label: Crow Lane Records
Format: Digital / Streaming / CD
We have some form with serious Sam Barrett. Having seen him play ahead of Richard Digance, after his successful support spot at the OHFC Sam deservedly was given his own headlining night later this year. He will no doubt receive as warm a welcome in Autumn as he did when recording this album at the Bacca Pipes folk club, Keighley last January.
This album shows his ability to blend English traditional folk song style and Americana and is a tantalising preview of what to expect in the Autumn in Bolton. He can adapt his vocal style from mournful unaccompanied songs like the album’s self-penned opener Every Night Has An Ending and his versions of Was On An April Morning and Liverpool Packet to the livelier Americana style on numbers like Alf’s Song and Drive Your Way Home.
He reveals a keenness to encourage audience participation with The Holmfirth Anthem as well as his Yorkshire roots, which marge with his love of Americana on songs like Last Of The Yorkshire Outlaws and Lullaby Of Leeds. His more melodic vocal style paired with a nimble acoustic finger-style guitar appears on the album’s title track A Drop Of The Morning Dew. Instrumentally he shows a wealth of variety too, adding slide guitar on Drive Your Way Home and Sailor’s Song, banjo playing on Bushes And Briars, which lyrically has touches of traditional English folk and musically pure Americana.
If you are looking for a folk club atmosphere but can’t get along to your nearest club or if you are looking for a taster before you go to see Sam this album is perfect for you. The 18 tracks, include 11 original songs from Sam and represent a ‘best of’ his career. His love of the English Folk club scene comes through strongly. as he confirms how: “Folk clubs have always been part of my life….and have always been a source of inspiration, sometimes the experience is almost transcendental… there’s nothing like it’.” Sam’s parents are very much responsible for taking him to clubs and festivals as a child. The calm friendly atmosphere of the English folk club, like listening to this album, is extremely therapeutic .
Sam Barrett online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / Bandcamp
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