Four stunning voices and an inspired bank of material on which to draw.  Women Of Folk is one of those very special ventures that comes along from time to time and, with their debut EP, Live at The Water Rats, these four ladies serve notice…

AN AWESOME COMBINATION

Women of Folk is one of those very special ventures that comes along from time to time.  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Travelling Wilburys or, at the other end of the spectrum, Daphne’s Flight: they’re all projects in which musicians of outstanding talent pool their considerable resources to create a whole that exceeds the sum of its parts.

Women of Folk occupy that same heady space.  It’s an awesome combination: Lizzy Hardingham of wave-making trio, Culverake, country-soul vocalist Louise Hatch, multi-instrumentalist and Odd Fox fiddler Rebecca Mileham and At The Barrier’s singer/ songwriter/ vocalist of the moment, Linda Moylan.

With four exceptional voices to call upon, Women Of Folk are able to pick their battleground.  And they’ve chosen a wide field upon which to deploy their art – one that takes in traditional Celtic and English folk, songs from the Greenwich Village poets and the Ladies of the Canyon and much, much more.  Along the way, Women Of Folk pay homage to the songs and repertoires of the best women folk singers and singer-songwriters of the past and the present, including Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Carole King.

SHIVERS

Live at The Water Rats is Women Of Folk’s debut EP, and it serves notice: if you haven’t caught up yet with this ensemble, you need to seek them out, as soon as humanly possible.  Recorded at the legendary King’s Cross venue – Bob Dylan, The Pogues and Oasis all played their debut London gigs here – Live at The Water Rats features five tracks that represent a cross-section of what Women of Folk are all about.  They’re supplemented by stalwart guitarist Ian Montague – and they’re on top, top, form.

I’ve often commented on Linda Moylan’s uncanny ability to take a well-known traditional song and make it entirely her own, and that’s exactly what she does with the EP’s opener, deportation ballad Fare Thee Well My Own True Love.  Her amazing voice sends shivers down the spine as acoustic guitar and violin work their own magic.  And, when the backing vocals kick in, the impact is almost overwhelming.

JOAN & JONI GET THE TREATMENT…

Louise is next to step into the lead vocalist spotlight, for a stunning interpretation of the Joan Baez song, Diamonds And Rust.  Her vocal tones are as rich and versatile as the sounds that Rebecca coaxes from her violin, as Lizzy and Ian complete the picture with their softly-picked guitars.  It takes incomprehensible ability and a good deal of courage to tackle a Joan Baez song and to add a special ‘something.’  That’s what Women Of Folk achieve here and, judging by their reaction, the Water Rats audience was just as amazed as I was.

Where to from Joan Baez?

Well, to Joni Mitchell, of course.  Rebecca sings lead on Chelsea Morning and her voice is every bit as bright, fresh and sweetly soaring as Joni’s.  Sung to an accompaniment of strummed acoustic guitars, it’s as joyful and refreshing here as it was when Joni first conceived it.

COULD WE HAVE SOME MORE, PLEASE?

Who Knows Where The Time Goes is a song that demands respect.  It’s Sandy’s signature piece, of course, and a firm favourite of so many people.  And, fear not – from the opening tones of the strummed guitars that provide the intro, it’s clear that Women of Folk have, once again, got things absolutely right.  It’s Lizzy’s turn to sing and she delivers this one as though she’s grown up with it.  Perhaps she has.  Her voice is sonorous and she brings an element of euphoria to Sandy’s pensive lyrics.  The guitars combine tastefully and smoothly behind the vocal but, if points were on offer here, it would be Lizzy’s voice that would pick up nine of the ten that I’d award for this stunning performance.

It’s only a few short weeks since I had the pleasure of seeing Linda Moylan round off a wonderful solo performance with her rendition of folk club favourite Wild Mountain Thyme.  I was knocked out then, as I am now.  The girls take turns with the verses (Linda goes first) and the effect of their combined voices as they harmonise for the chorus could melt a lump of solid granite. Live at The Water rats is a mere taster of what Women Of Folk is capable of.  There’s surely more to come.  Please?  Pretty Please??

Watch the official video of Women Of Folk performing Wild Mountain Thyme – below:

Women of Folk: Website

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