Karine Polwart, Birmingham Town Hall Review: Expertly crafted modern folk | reviews, news & interviews
Karine Polwart, Birmingham Town Hall Review: Expertly crafted modern folk
Karine Polwart, Birmingham Town Hall Review: Expertly crafted modern folk
the Karine Polwart Trio return to Brum with a mix of old and new music
With a few extra dates to her rescheduled UK tour, Scottish folk legend Karine Polwart returned to Birmingham Town Hall with some tunes from her latest album – Still as You’re Sleeping, an album of just voice and piano recording with jazz pianist Dave Milligan – plus a mix of earlier material, covers and traditional songs given her own signature twist.
During the second half, Inge Thomson took the spotlight for one of her own tunes: a song inspired by Rachel Carson’s 1962 environmental science book Silent Spring which then ends with a more upbeat jig. Recording herself playing a motif on a low whistle, she looped that sound to accompany her singing, along with other electronics. It’s interesting to see that kind of technology used in such an innovative way and one which is wholly in keeping with and sympathetic to the genre.
“We’re all Leaving” – a song inspired by Charles Darwin and the loss of his 10-year-old daughter Annie - had a beautiful descending guitar part and some gorgeous harmonies, and the trio’s cover of “Video Killed the Radio Star” was sweet, quirky and fun. Ending the set with a triptych of songs about birds, “Follow the Heron” was serene and poignant while Sydney Carter’s “Crow on the Cradle” had a darker nuance, expertly portraying the lyrics’ sense of premonition. An uplifting end to Polwart’s set, “The King of Birds” was cheering and heartfelt, and a timely reminder that we’re at our best when we work together and pool our strengths.
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