Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns

Me no hear yet

Ah cannae tell whit their singin aboot man!

It's all about the whales.

Whales in Shields? Howayy!

Or rather whalers. And stillborn children, singing, drunkenness, bastard coal miner boyfriends and the like. Other than that ah cannae either.

"My Donald" - that's about hunting the sperm, intit? Oooer etc.

ahem..

For obvious reasons, I was interested in what/how they sounded, and they are playing the South Street theatre sometime soon.

Go and see them. They will not disappoint. The arrangements on this record are excellent. Miles ahead of Cruel Sister. Not that folky at all in the traditional sense and really drawing on jazz classical Steve Reich and all sorts.

this has been on my THINGS TO BUY list for a month or so now. i bet it's still there in another six :/

Still no love for this ? I really thought this would have wowed the ILM contingent. Mr Fiendish - you have three months left before you are proved right.

I have seen a fair bit of love for this.

I was expecting it to be a free track on one of those word/mojo/uncut discs, but no such.

Robert Wyatt bigs it up in the Wire's year-end recap...(I think they cover one of his tracks on it...log-rolling alert!)

Yes, "Sea Song". Wonderfully. Which takes some doing.

shit. yes. three months :)

this album is blindingly wonderful. people, seriously, go hear.

"fareweel regality" touches parts of my soul i didn't even know i had.

i'd write more but i don't have the words.

exquisite.

^^^ OTM.

ahem.

So, this seems a shoe-in for the customary "folk" nom for the Mercuries this year.

Could it actually win? I'd bet on it when the odds first come out, cause they will shorten dramatically, I reckons.

I've had this on my iPod for months but never got round to listening to it until a train journey at the weekend. Amazing arrangements and harmonies.

So, this seems a shoe-in for the customary "folk" nom for the Mercuries this year

good prediction, Mark!

ta.

It's at ten to one right now, so as I say, it's being touted as the 'time for the folk one to actually win' option.

Still haven't actually heard any of it, mind.

Neither have I, I should try to get this

some tracks easily available on her myspace

i went to go see them last night in chicago
it was breathtaking -- singing and arrangements were the same bold combination of trad and modern as the collins sisters.
i was on the fence about going because i had to go by myself, but i am so truly happy i went. i know rachel gets top billing, but
becky's voice is quite beautiful and distinctive its own right, and in a completely different (more velvety) way than rachel's.
together, though, wow.

that is what i have to say: wow. WOW.

although i realize that dolly collins didn't sing as much as rachel (hardly at all, really) but i was talking more of the arrangements.
the robert wyatt song took on a whole new life.
anyway, it was wonderful.

i mean becky

clearly i am just trying to give this thread and this band the love it deserves.

this sounds like something I would really enjoy. thanks ILM!

Just discovered this record thanks to diver mentioning in on the decade thread - hoooly shit.

They're now calling themselves The Unthanks (thus bringing Becky level with Rachel, which only seems fair), and they're touring the UK with an expanded line-up in the autumn.

I thought the name was a little unwieldy. Hopefully we can look forward to some new recordings sometime.

Wasn't all that nuts about The Bairns, but noticed the other day that there's a new record out soon:

"Absolutely Exquisite" Paul Morley Speaks...
First writer of UK music journalism Paul Morley describes Here's The Tender Coming as "Absolutely exquisite. A real work of art. I will be playing it at least forever." The album is released on Sept 14th.