The long-awaited second album from Norwich duo Christina Alden and Alex Patterson. Safe Travels collects songs of home, family and connections to the natural world – all packaged in that special Alden/Patterson way.
Release Date: 9th May 2025
Label: Folk Cellar Records
Formats: CD / Digital
IT’S BEEN A WHILE…
It’s taken quite a while – four years, in fact – but Norwich duo Christina Alden & Alex Patterson have finally got around to releasing the follow-up to their magnificent 2021 debut album, Hunter. Not that Christina and Alex have been idle during the intervening years; they’ve been touring fairly relentlessly, in the UK, Norway, Belgium, France, Ireland and elsewhere and, let’s not forget, they also comprised ⅖ of Kitewing, the East Anglian ‘supergroup’ whose eponymous album had At The Barrier grasping for superlatives just last year.
And new album, Safe Travels is another corker from the Alden/Patterson stable. It’s a collection of new original songs, plus a solitary instrumental, that takes a three-year journey through the couple’s life, exploring elements of home, family and their connections to the natural world. The crystal clear Christina Alden vocals, the rapturous vocal harmonies, the instrumental mastery and, perhaps best of all, the engaging storytelling – they’re all present and correct on an album that’s guaranteed to charm and delight. Christina Alden & Alex Patterson have done it again!
CHRISTINA ALDEN & ALEX PATTERSON
Just in case you need reminding… Christina Alden & Alex Patterson are a pair of multi-instrumentalists, writers and performers from Norwich. Christina plays guitar, banjo and tenor guitar and sings like an angel. Alex plays fiddle, tenor guitar, viola and shruti and is also no slouch in the vocal department. For Safe Travels, they’re joined by double bassist John Parker, whose instrumental tones add a rich depth to the natural sweetness that erupts whenever Christina and Alex get their music in motion.
Speaking of the love and emotion that Christina and Alex have put into creating Safe Travels, Christina and Alex had this to say: “We began making this album at the start of 2022, as the world was emerging from the global pandemic, and just before the birth of our daughter, Etta. Some of these songs are like old friends that have travelled many miles with us, whilst others came about in the final stages of production. This is a collection of songs and tunes that feel as if they have grown and changed with us over the years. Those keen listeners amongst you may even hear some of our home life; our old cat pottering and meowing around the house, our daughter talking in the background or the sound of city life just beyond the studio walls. We are so proud of this album and it’s been a real pleasure creating this music together.”
A DELIGHTFUL WAY TO START…
It isn’t just the music either… Study that album artwork closely and you’ll see clues to the subject matter of the songs scattered liberally throughout the cover pictures and the booklet illustrations. Safe Travels is a product to savour and cherish.
It’s the title track that gets Safe Travels underway. Christina’s lyrics reflect upon the excitement experienced by those moving home or migrating and the conflicts they confront between the attraction of their destination and the restraint of their anchor to home. Softly-picked banjo and tenor guitar provide the backing to those signature, spine-tingling vocal harmonies, whilst John’s double bass provides the depth and Alex’s strings the sweetness. I was left to think: “What a delightful way to start!”
EARLY MUSICAL MEMORIES & THE JOYS OF WINTER
Christina relives her earliest musical memories in the heartwarming Our House. Whilst she was growing up, her mother would play folk tunes in the family kitchen with her friends as Christina and the other children listened through the door. Her lyrics bring that scene back to life and you’ll find yourself singing the song’s “Is it our house or yours? What time shall we meet?” refrain, long after the song has finished.
Although we all (I imagine…) love the warmth and vitality of summer, we’re reminded that winter also has its attractions in the contemplative Winter Song. The pared-back accompaniment – Christina’s guitar, John’s rumbling bass and Alex’s smooth viola all help the listener focus upon what’s really important here: Christina and Alex’s wonderful harmony vocals.
FOR OUR DAUGHTER…
Written for the couple’s daughter, Etta, the duo explore their experiences of family love and parenthood in the delightful Etta’s Song. The song is introduced by a burst of birdsong, recorded during an early-morning walk in the Suffolk countryside. The instrumentation is initially low-key, but it builds satisfyingly and the emotion in Christina’s vocals is remarkable, especially when she gets to the song’s “I’ll sing you stories of old…” refrain.
Christina and Alex named Raven Yard, the album’s sole instrumental track, after the medieval yard behind their Norwich home. Alex plays a sprightly fiddle air that reflects the light movement of the bird of the tune’s title, whilst Christina plucks her banjo to set the pace. And, whilst we’re on the subject of song title inspirations, the excellent The Starless Sea was named after the Erin Morgenstern novel of the same name. The novel’s theme – sailing into uncharted waters – resonated with Christina’s emotions as she prepared to give birth to her daughter and her voice and lyrics are comforting as she contemplates the life ahead for her family and herself.
PASSION & EARWORMS
Yet, it’s the doubts and concerns of forthcoming parenthood – specifically the anxiety of bringing a child into a world threatened by armed conflict and climate change – that provide the subject matter for the passionate A Hundred Years Ago. The sincerity in Christina’s lyrics is clearly evident as she recalls her experience of pregnancy-induced hypertension and the thoughts that passed through her mind, whilst Alex expresses sympathy with her predicament with some wonderfully emotional violin.
Fiddle, guitar and Christina’s voice combine to evoke vivid images of an old East Anglian winter sport in Shallow Water, one of the album’s particular earworms. And, as they are keen to point out: “We really enjoyed recording squeaky fiddle strings at the start of this track, emulating the sounds of skates scooting across the ice!”
OUR CHANGING WORLD
To bring this excellent album to its close, Christina and Alex have selected three songs that, in different ways, consider the changes caused to the world’s landscape by climate breakdown and the related searches for unlikely and alternative homes by affected wildlife.
The Old Weather Station tells the story of the polar bears on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, that now occupy an abandoned weather station on the island. Christina assumes the character of one of the bears as she sings evocative lyrics like: “Here comes the storm at the back of the tide, the wind and the rain follow behind,” whilst the guitars recall those squally winds and Alex’s fiddle paints pictures of the wild arctic scenery.
A CHARMING END TO A CHARMING ALBUM
Next – the charming story of a young girl who befriended the crows in the area around her Seattle home. She would feed them from her lunchbox and, over time, the crows started to return the favour by bringing her trinkets. Crow is a lovely story, set to a lovely tune and sung beautifully to a bright accompaniment of tenor guitar, fiddle and bass.
And, to conclude, Christina and Alex tell the story of The Mountain Hare, an inhabitant of the wild Scottish uplands and another innocent victim of the changing climate. It’s a gentle way to finish, with another excellent vocal from Christina, backed by soft fingerpicked guitar, dreamy fiddle and mellow bass. It’s a charming ending to a charming album.
CHRISTINA & ALEX – ON TOUR
And Christina Alden & Alex Patterson are currently hard at work touring the UK to promote Safe Travels. You can find out whether they’ll be playing anywhere near you by consulting the itinerary below…
Watch Christina Alden & Alex Patterson perform A Hundred Years Ago, a track from the album, below:
Christina Alden & Alex Patterson online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Bandcamp
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