A colleague of mine was recounting how sceptical he had become towards the singer-songwriter tag of late, following the ludicrous amounts of praise artists like James Blunt had received.
Although I agree with him that Blunt is a talentless impostor, it is a pity that we allow chancers like Blunt to sully a whole genre of music in this way. So I decided to make a stand and reclaim the singer-songwriter tag for all those musicians who actually have something interesting to say. Here it is, four albums by four diverse singer-songwriters that kick the shit out of songs such as You’re Beautiful.
First up, we have James Yorkston with his third album, The Year of the Leopard (David Gresham), a candid, heartfelt record produced by Rustin Man aka Paul Webb, the man responsible for Portishead’s Beth Gibbon’s beautiful solo album Out of Season. It is full of sparse, acoustic country and folk songs that will have you wrapped up in Yorkston’s cotton-wool world in no time.
5am is a definite album highlight, an arresting country song bristling with melancholic tinges and beautiful string arrangements that etch themselves deep into your subconscious.
Secondly we have the new album from Isobell Campbell, ex-Belle & Sebastian, who has followed up her critically lauded previous album with a collection of haunting Celtic folk songs. I can hear you grown already, but Milkwhite Sheets (Just Music) is no Riverdance or Celtic Women.
Campbell turns traditionals such as Hori Horo and Reynardine into sublime folk moments. You get five traditionals, two covers and six Campbell originals.
Thirdly there is the new album by the Mountain Goats, who is singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Get Lonely (Just Music) is an intimate collection of domestic songs, featuring Darnielle’s quirky vocals backed by acoustic guitar, sparse piano and melancholic strings.
His songs explore the blurry boundary between the sanctity of the home and the outside, weather-beaten world. It is a place where wet leaves, frozen ground and cross-town busses are the main protagonists, with a sound that is reminiscent of Smog or New Morning-era Bob Dylan.
Lastly we have the irreverent Dan Sartain with his new album, Join Dan Sartain (Just Music). Sartain is a true rock’n’roller with a real punk aesthetic, but his songs exist somewhere between Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash and some old Mexican crooner. Although his vocal delivery may take a little getting used to, his tales of wild-west love and violence are a perfect tonic for all those twentysomethings habitually going on about their broken heart when they probably haven’t even lost their virginity.