a r t i s t : Megson
t i t l e : Smoke of Home
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : EDJ Records
g e n r e : Folk
r l s. d a t e : Sep/2008
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 65,3 MB
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Since self releasing their debut disc, æOn the SideÆ in 2005,
acoustic duo Megson (Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer), have made a
significant impact on the folk and acoustic scene in the UK. A
combination of songwriting talent, stellar musicianship and
relaxed but excellent live shows has seen them pick up many
supporters, notably Bob Harris and Seth Lakeman. With such an
excellent start, producing a strong second album was essential
and theyÆve certainly lived up the billing, æSmoke of HomeÆ is
one of finest progressive folk albums in recent memory that
stands up and compares well to the output of British folk/rock
act Equation.
The title track refers to Stu & DebbieÆs home in the
industrial heartland of Teeside (although theyÆre now exiled
in South East of England) and itÆs a piece that sums up Megson
well, it has excellent vocals from both Stu and Debbie,
wrapped around an elegant and memorable melody but most of all
it has a touch of magic in the instrumentation and
arrangements û itÆs a beautifully constructed album with
refreshing and imaginative touches throughout.
Stu provides most of the instrumentation across the 12 songs,
and his range of skills on guitar, mandola, mandolin and
fiddle are complimented by Debbie on whistles, with
appearances from Ben Nichols (Seth Lakeman Band) on bass and
Iain Goodall (Equation) providing percussion. While the debut
disc is excellent, itÆs a relatively simple and acoustic
affair, but æSmoke of HomeÆ sees them pushing things a little
further with a more diverse sound and range of backing.
As before though, both Debbie and Stu share the vocals û
DebbieÆs voice is clean and pure and works equally well on the
slow acoustic songs as it does on the more upbeat and full
tracks; the harmonies when singing together (which is on most
tracks) are varied and always tight.
A mixture of 3 traditional songs, 6 originals and 3 original
songs based on folklore this is a great mix of songs covering
a broad range of subjects including a ghost story (SammyÆs
Ghost), a tale of leaving home to find fame and fortune (Smoke
of Home), and the obligatory folk song with a gruesome death
(Lambkin).
It may only be two years since their debut, but the strides
theyÆve made on both the live scene and with this album
demonstrate that Megson are going to be one of the best known
and best loved acts for years to come. æSmoke of HomeÆ is an
exceptional album and is definitely not to be missed.
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01-smoke of home [03:14]
02-lambkin [04:15]
03-follow it on [03:46]
04-fell to the breeze [04:02]
05-sammy's ghost [04:07]
06-just as the tide [04:29]
07-i lied [02:56]
08-humanlands [04:18]
09-durham gaol [03:59]
10-flood water [04:25]
11-name of the rose [03:09]
12-everynight when the sun goes in [04:40]
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47:20 min