Nuneaton duo KC Jones return with 14 songs that epitomize what they do best.  Thought-provoking originals, joyful trad and a couple of imaginative covers.  They’re all to be enjoyed on the duo’s new album, Collections.

A FAMILIAR, SUCCESSFUL FORMULA

Nuneaton duo Karen Killeen-Jones and Colin Jones – KC Jones, as they’re collectively known – have become rather good, if fondly-missed, friends of ours.  They last they crossed our radar back in 2023, when we described the duo’s album Roots (predecessor to Collections) as: “a lovely album; thoroughly warm and engaging.”  We also waxed lyrical over the special quality of Karen’s voice and her chameleon-like ability to alter her tones, according to the mood of the song.

Then, some 18 months ago, we waxed lyrical once again, when we picked up on Karen’s solo EP, A Woman’s Work.  On that occasion, we were knocked out not just Karen’s vocal and songwriting abilities but also by her multi-instrumental prowess as, in just six songs, she worked her way around an array of instruments that included guitar, piano, whistle, accordion and more.

It’s great to have KC Jones back with another album and it’s good to report that the formula for Collection is a familiar (and successful) one.  The bulk of the material on offer is Karen’s own compositional work – and we know from experience that Karen Killeen-Jones has that rare ability to condense her thoughts and experiences into succinct, meaningful and articulate lyrical messages.  Add in a couple of joyous covers of familiar traditional songs and a pair of imaginative interpretations of well-known contemporary songs and the formula is complete.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, TOPICAL

The duo’s old friend Keith Donnelly is back to help out on a couple of songs and the duo are further supplemented by vocalist Bill Bates, fiddler/string arranger Marion Fleetwood and banjoist Bob Powell whenever the situation allows.  It all adds up to a bunch of polished, well-played, well-produced, thought-provoking songs that you’ll want to hear over and over again.

It’s lead single The Apocalyptic Horsemen that gets Collection underway.  Karen’s vocal is clear and assured, backed by a nice combination of acoustic guitars and subtle harmonies.  I’ve previously compared aspects of Karen’s voice to that of Mary Travers and that’s a comparison that stands out here.  The song’s lyrics are a topical statement of the current state of the world, but there’s reassurance on offer, in lines like: “We all gallop on regardless but we have the power within – to change the course of history, a new era to begin.”

Colin steps forward to take the lead vocal for Goodbye to the Life of a Worker, whilst Karen provides support on accordion and harmony vocals.  The lyrics cut to the chase as they bemoan the passing of the working life that, not too long ago, all of us were able to take for granted but which, all too often, led to an early passing.

TRADITIONAL SONGS AND CONTEMPORARY REINVENTIONS

Karen’s ability to write and perform new songs that sound as though they’re steeped in tradition is well-documented and that’s an ability she exercises to grand effect with Stop that Train.  Bob Powell’s banjo adds to the mellow tones of the acoustic guitars, as Karen sings her sad song of parting and relationship severance with sympathy and passion.

Marion Fleetwood joins the fun for a jaunty version of Blackleg Miner.  It’s a well-known song but the augmented duo make a few refreshing changes, as Karen’s shanty-like accordion rhythm and Marion’s flighty fiddle add the highlights to Colin’s excellent vocals.

Bad Mood Rising, John Fogerty’s pulsing, rocky vision of a forthcoming apocalypse, is, of course, an all-time, solid gold classic.  Here, it’s reinvented as a wistful folk song.  Karen delivers Fogerty’s lyrical warning of imminent doom in a coaxing tone, as guitars are plucked and Marion’s sweeping strings add to the sense of certainty.  It’s imaginative, it’s respectful – and it works!

LIFE HAS CHANGED – IN O-SO-MANY WAYS...

And, after that near-brush with world annihilation, a dose of light relief is, perhaps, what’s needed – and KC Jones have just the thing.  Recorded live, with vocalist Bill Bates joining the duo’s ranks, Made-Up Folk Song – a hilarious lyrical catalogue of folk-song clichés, sets things back on an even keel.  Songs of parting and of broken hearts, fiddle-de-dees, Penguin books of lyrics, acceptable instruments (avoid banjos and bagpipes, we’re advised…) and fingers-in-ears all get a mention.  It’s good to laugh at ourselves, isn’t it?

An album highlight, Karen’s wonderful Make Time To Fly is a song that will resonate with just about every listener.  Lyrics like: “Make time to fly – don’t let your dreams and wishes pass you by.  Before it gets too late, make time to fly” serve as a potent reminder that our time here is finite.  So enjoy every sandwich…

The lyrics to John Lennon’s Help! Suit the prevailing theme of this album to a ‘T’ and, to present them, Karen and Colin have come up with yet another innovative rework.  Colin takes the lead vocal and powerfully-strummed acoustic guitars provide the accompaniment as the duo reinterpret the song as a power-ballad.  Colin throws in a wistful guitar solo for the middle-eight and Karen adds a stunning accordion solo before the song reaches a spine-tingling coda that’s destined to become a live-show highlight.  If it hasn’t already done so…

“LET’S ‘AVE A DARNCE!”

My Bonny Lad is another of Karen’s songs that sounds authentically like a folk song.  Her lyrics tell a familiar story: a young man is sent to sea, away from his new bride, and is never seen again, and the sorrow in Karen’s voice is palpable.  And the story of what happened to the young man is told in companion track, Moon and Stars, with Karen, once again, delivering an outstanding vocal.

Despite the intensity in some of Karen’s lyrics, humour is never far beneath the surface, wherever KC Jones are concerned.  And that humour breaks through for the comic pirate shanty, Ballad of a Buccaneer.  Loud shouts of “Aaar-harr!” fill the air and Colin sings in his best Robert Newton accent.  “Let’s ‘ave a darnce!” calls Karen, and the ensemble break into an authentically nautical Trumpet Hornpipe (Captain Pugwash, for the over -60s amongst us…) and it’s all great fun.

FINE VOCALS

This excellent album is brought to its close by three songs on which Karen delivers her finest vocals of the lot.  A melancholy harmonica sets the scene for The Cowboy Rides Again and there’s sincerity in Karen’s voice as she sings: ”I just don’t want to leave here, so it’s here I will remain.  Where the smoke is on the water, and the cowboy rides again.”  And Karen’s vocals for the anthemic Destiny are, if anything, even better.  Acoustic guitars lead the accompaniment but there’s lots more going on.  And, believe me, this is a song that deserves a big production.  Karen’s lyrical message will resonate with anyone who’s in a lasting and meaningful relationship.

And, to close, Karen offers more wise words as she takes time for a piece of self-reflection with Where have You Gone.  I suggest that listeners dissect these lyrics and ask: “How much of this applies to me?”  Quite a lot, I think you’ll find.

Listen to The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse – the album’s lead single – below:

KC Jones: Bandcamp

At The Barrier: Facebook / X / Instagram