a r t i s t : The Memory Band
t i t l e : Apron Strings
d a t e : 2006
l a b e l : Peacefrog
c a t : PFG085DA
s o u r c e : DD
g e n r e : Folk
r l s. d a t e : Oct/2006
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : 320kbps
s i z e : 109,8 MB
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The Memory Band is the latest incarnation of Stephen
Cracknell, maybe better known in the past for his work as
Gorodisch on the Leaf Label and more interestingly for
co-founding the Trunk Records label. It's no secret that Trunk
has been re-issuing some of the finest and most intriguing
oddities and rarities from the vaults of British Cinema and
more recently British folk, so it's hardly surprising that
Cracknell has one foot in the past as he carefully constructs
the beautiful tracks on 'Apron Strings'. Like Tunng, Cracknell
and his collaborators have put together an album which is
intrinsically 'folk-revivalist' yet for some reason sticks in
the mind as being extremely contemporary. With occasional drum
machine flourishes and modern production techniques I could
say it was the 'sound' of the record that booted it into our
modern times, but that's not it - Tunng for instance took
their sound into the 21st century by blending folk with
electronica, but 'Apron Strings' is as much a folk album as
Fairport Convention's 'Liege & Lief' with the songwriting
always very much at the fore. Just head straight to the
8-minute folk epic 'I Wish I Wish' which probably sums 'The
Memory Band' up totally, beginning with haunting strings,
guitar and drum machines we are soon greeted by Nancy
Wallace's utterly gorgeous vocals and although somehow
reminiscent of Sandy Denny (I'm not complaining!) they melt
into the track so absolutely creating waves of memorable
harmony to warm you on those grumbly British winter nights.
Mid way through the track the vocals cease and allow the track
to build and build in that classic 'folk-rock-jam' manner we
all came to love (after some convincing) before slowly and
surely coming to an end. Elsewhere the troupe encounter Irish
traditional folk music with their rendition of 'Green Grows
the Laurel' and manage to come out without a hint of derision
or cynicism, and I suppose when the album draws to a close,
that is it's greatest strength. At no point do you feel
Cracknell and his compatriots are ironically attempting to
jump on a folk bandwagon, rather they are making music which
makes them smile, which they can truly enjoy - and hearing
musicians having a blast is always impossible to resist.
'Apron Strings' is a marvelous piece of work and a defined,
important step for the nu-folk movement or whatever we're
calling it in 2006...
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01-Blackwaterside [03:48]
02-Come Write Me Down [03:51]
03-Bramables [03:10]
04-Green Grows the Laurel [03:48]
05-I Wish I Wish [07:54]
06-The Light [04:44]
07-Want You to Know [04:06]
08-Deltic Soul [00:54]
09-Why [04:53]
10-Reasons [03:12]
11-Evil [04:33]
12-The Poacher [02:58]
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47:51 min