Seth Lakeman:
Word Of Mouth:
Cooking Vinyl:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★★☆☆
Devon's successful story-telling troubadour Seth Lakeman has grown up fast without physically ageing. Still blessed with something of a poster-boy demeanour previously bestowed upon him by a few corners of the press, after several earnest nu-folk albums, he couldn't be further removed from pop-star adulation and insignificance if he wore a shirt bearing the legend, "I hate pop". And for this, we must be grateful.
Now bedded in as part of the Cooking Vinyl empire, a proven haven for excellent but forgotten pop, rock and folk dominions such as long-standing loyalist Billy Bragg, soul-blues queen Alison Moyet and revived Brit-pop chart-toppers Embrace, Lakeman has taken to the task of re-energising this quiet passage in his career with possibly his best album since the 2003 Mercury-bothering Kitty Jay and his first Virgin Records release, Freedom Fields.
Word Of Mouth is all about conversations, encounters, stories and re-invented legends the singer has gleaned from localities close to his heart and soul. The Wanderer centres its plot on two travelling companions of Lakeman's acquaintance, The Ranger outlines the perils of managing Dartmoor's vast and unpredictable landscape, Bal Maiden touches on tales of young women working in claustrophobic Cornish tin-mines in the 19th century and Labour She Calls Home details one woman's tireless commitment to preserving the precariously positioned historic Minack Theatre.
This last song must surely strike a chord with the songwriter - Lakeman performed at the cliff-top venue a few years ago to sold-out crowds. In fact, after listening to the song, you wonder if the recent storms will have literally brought the house down in the same way. Nature's cruelty, wild environs, acts performed in the face of adversity and tragic events have often featured in his work - on this, his seventh studio set in twelve years, the ultimate tragedy of the Titanic takes pride of place on the darkest song on the album, The Saddest Crowd. Again, his home-town of Plymouth yields creative license with the acknowledgement of the city harbour's role in the aftermath of the liner's demise.
Which brings us back to the topic of safe havens and choice of label. With the album earning a respectable #20 position in the UK Album Charts (he's currently surrounded by the likes of The 1975, John Newman and One Direction), Word Of Mouth has done Cooking Vinyl proud. The depth of songwriting (and artistic research) on here reveals a performer at ease and without the pressures of major-label demands for a 'hit', harking back to the pre-Mercury nomination days of old and a time when his setting up a violin, guitar and trademark foot-stomping MDF board was as simplistic a process as making the tea. Accompanied by a small-ish band, the entire album flows seamlessly from end-to-end without pointless pomp and ceremony.
Yes, Seth Lakeman still inadvertently surrounds himself with inconsequential celebrity pop idols after each album's release (this is his fourth Top 40 success), but his beloved Dartmoor home is where the art is. A very rewarding listen.
NB - The book-pack box-set is worth seeking out, packed with extra content and liner-notes and photos of many of the album's subjects.
Word Of Mouth:
Cooking Vinyl:
Out Now:
★★★★★★★★☆☆
Now bedded in as part of the Cooking Vinyl empire, a proven haven for excellent but forgotten pop, rock and folk dominions such as long-standing loyalist Billy Bragg, soul-blues queen Alison Moyet and revived Brit-pop chart-toppers Embrace, Lakeman has taken to the task of re-energising this quiet passage in his career with possibly his best album since the 2003 Mercury-bothering Kitty Jay and his first Virgin Records release, Freedom Fields.
Word Of Mouth is all about conversations, encounters, stories and re-invented legends the singer has gleaned from localities close to his heart and soul. The Wanderer centres its plot on two travelling companions of Lakeman's acquaintance, The Ranger outlines the perils of managing Dartmoor's vast and unpredictable landscape, Bal Maiden touches on tales of young women working in claustrophobic Cornish tin-mines in the 19th century and Labour She Calls Home details one woman's tireless commitment to preserving the precariously positioned historic Minack Theatre.
This last song must surely strike a chord with the songwriter - Lakeman performed at the cliff-top venue a few years ago to sold-out crowds. In fact, after listening to the song, you wonder if the recent storms will have literally brought the house down in the same way. Nature's cruelty, wild environs, acts performed in the face of adversity and tragic events have often featured in his work - on this, his seventh studio set in twelve years, the ultimate tragedy of the Titanic takes pride of place on the darkest song on the album, The Saddest Crowd. Again, his home-town of Plymouth yields creative license with the acknowledgement of the city harbour's role in the aftermath of the liner's demise.
Which brings us back to the topic of safe havens and choice of label. With the album earning a respectable #20 position in the UK Album Charts (he's currently surrounded by the likes of The 1975, John Newman and One Direction), Word Of Mouth has done Cooking Vinyl proud. The depth of songwriting (and artistic research) on here reveals a performer at ease and without the pressures of major-label demands for a 'hit', harking back to the pre-Mercury nomination days of old and a time when his setting up a violin, guitar and trademark foot-stomping MDF board was as simplistic a process as making the tea. Accompanied by a small-ish band, the entire album flows seamlessly from end-to-end without pointless pomp and ceremony.
Yes, Seth Lakeman still inadvertently surrounds himself with inconsequential celebrity pop idols after each album's release (this is his fourth Top 40 success), but his beloved Dartmoor home is where the art is. A very rewarding listen.
NB - The book-pack box-set is worth seeking out, packed with extra content and liner-notes and photos of many of the album's subjects.