Ange Hardy
Ange Hardy from West Somerset, England has come out with her sixth studio album called Bring Back Home featuring Ange Hardy - vocals, harp, guitar, whistle, songwriting, arrangement and producer, Peter Knight - fiddle and backing vocals, Lukas Drinkwater - bass, guitar and backing vocals, Evan Carson - percussion, Alex Cumming -Accordion, Jon Dyer - flute and whistle and Lee Cuff - cello and backing vocals. Ange's music takes you back to an era where it carries on traditions dark and beautiful. The songs are almost lost in the atmosphere of the present. She reaches into the cauldrons of history telling stories only the masters could tell. It takes a crafty fox to light the way through the roads all but forgotten. Where will the travels of her music take you? Ange sings with such love and depth from the roots of each tale. I feel these are her best recordings as of yet even though I am still fond of her previous ones. Ange leaves a little saying for the heart and soul of each listener inside the cover of her CD. "Whatever may be make it welcome, ...."
Bring Back Home became a pivotal point for Ange. There were no set rules except for just simply recording songs that had written themselves at her kitchen table which helped her discover a new musical path. This auspicious 2017 CD includes 14 songs.
-
Sisters Three - A haunting tour de force with rich melodic substance. This tune reminds me of spiritual pagan rituals of days gone by. This is a folk story about the origin of good and evil in the heart of mankind.
-
Once I Was A Rose - Birds singing as if you were sitting and listening from a bench within a Victorian garden. What is that music diverting and beckoning you to listen? This is a reminder to anyone that life is too short not to make time for the people you love.
-
Bring Back Home - Gentle and drifting sweetly. Out at sea, sailors lull you into their atmosphere hoping to return to their loved ones as the ones at home await to embrace them again. Ultimately, this song about letting go and making the most of the life that you have.
-
St Decuman - Sung in short verse by verse as if to tease the listener. I envision St Decuman walking along and catching those listening to gather around where he sits. He continues with what is sacred. Local legend tells that Decuman was a hermit from Wales who sailed to Watchet, along with his favorite cow, on his cloak. He lived in peace next to a holy well, before being beheaded by a marauding Dane. However . . . . . (You can read the rest within her booklet that comes with the CD).
-
The Hunter, The Prey - Tension ensues as if being stalked and seeking a place to hide. Who is running? Who is trying to outsmart who? Can the wiliest of minds keep from being entrapped? This story serves as a reminder and a warning that the choices of our children are molded by our own actions.
-
Summer's Day / Little Wilscombe - She's in a field of wildflowers, buttercups in particular. The music is wispy like a breeze playing against the warmth of the sun. This is a reminder to stop, to stand still and to appreciate the beauty surrounding us.
-
Claudy Banks (Roud 266) - A sad tune, wistful in its revelry. Where will Johnny take himself this time only to return? And will he, a rover, be welcome back again? The character of "Johnny" often has quite a hard time in folk songs, regularly being killed off.
-
Little Benny Sing Well - A poignant song where the melody follows each toss of a stone. Benny's father tasks him to build a bridge by throwing stones into a river. Maybe by singing a song, accompanying each release, he can make the stones stack higher. This is a reminder to persevere in the face of adversity.
-
Waters Of Tyne (Roud 1364) - Gentle sweet plucking like water lightly splashing around the rocks it encounters in the descent of its current. This is an entirely unexpected romance taking on a life of its own.
-
Husband John - A sad adventure of a song. The tale takes place at a manor where a young maiden slays the lady of the house in order to take her place. " . . . for I know where her body lies and you'll not know I betrayed thee. . . ."
-
A Girl Like Her - Whimsical and full of restless joy, this song takes you into the unique heart and spirit of Ange's daughter.
-
What May You Do For The JAM? - The guitar plays with accents that come with a holiday spirit. Little is had by means of sustenance. How would you cope? Are you thankful for what you already have or do you fight for your rights as a hard working man?
-
Chase The Devil Down - A cheerful song in verse portraying all the goodness you can feel and hold on to. What will it take? A warrior's stance is needed to keep the devil at bay. If you don't constantly fight for your heart to remain full of love, you can easily become hardened and embittered by constant battles.
-
What It Is - When I saw this title, I thought of the greeting of how brothers meet on the street as in "What's happening?" What you see are the circumstances in life and you take them for what they are. This song portrays the wishing, the longing and the accepting of what will be so be strong. Be bold.
The music industry can be a difficult place to find comfort. It's full of pitfalls and dangers. The devil never seems far from the door. This album was about chasing down that devil and bringing the music back home where it started. Beautiful, inspirational alarming and haunting. Ange performs original contemporary songs written in a traditional style. To find out more about Ange and to listen to all of the songs within this CD go to:
Denise L. @DL7855 2018