Label: Rough Trade
Review by Warren Mayocchi
With a series of song titles which loosely cover the events of a night, calling the album “Overnight” is most appropriate. Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker are talented multi-instrumental musicians who create songs which I would call “folk plus” – mostly folk, but with a variety of extra elements. Josienne sings to us with a pure and wistful voice over simple arrangements generally featuring guitar, piano, strings, and sometimes brass. A good mix for folk music and then the songwriting will sometimes add an element like a jazz saxophone or a pop arrangement. Altogether it creates a folk sound well slanted to the melancholy and with the occasional surprise. As the album begins we are treated to a few mood setting songs including “Something Familiar” which is available as a music video. It represents the album in style, and with a surprise as it is a little bit country. Following these tracks then night then begins with “Dawn of the Dark”. It has lovely melodic rolling approach and closes with a recorder solo – definitely the highlight of the album for me. As the dark closes in we have a couple of restless tracks. “The Light of His Lamp” seems to represent the desire to sleep but having thoughts and the surrounds intrude – including a ticking clock. Then we have a track called “Sleep” and subsequently we transported to the sleeping world as “Milk and Honey” gives us another surprise with a slow jazz saxophone accompaniment. Then “The Waning Crescent” takes us into a pleasant moonlit dream with the soundtrack of a fifties pop song. In the end, the “Light of Day” gently welcomes us back to waking reality. As I listen to “Overnight” I am at times reminded of Eva Cassidy, She & Him, and Jennifer Warnes (on the “Famous Blue Raincoat” album) though probably most like Cara Dillon. Musically Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker have created a comparably lovely sound, however they have a more impressionistic style than the stories and poetic lyrics in the songs those other artists chose. “Overnight” is a delicate pleasure, at times I did wish for a stronger lyrical presence but there are excellent tracks and musical surprises well performed to keep my attention.
Rating – 80/100
Tracklist
- Nine Times Along
- Something Familiar
- Sweet The Sorrow
- Dawn of The Dark
- Dark Turn of Mind (Gillian Welch cover)
- Weep You No More Sad Fountains (traditional English ballad)
- The Light of His Lamp
- Sleep
- Milk and Honey
- The Waning Crescent
- Overnight
- Light of Day
Links
facebook.com/Josienne-Clarke-and-Ben-Walker-197061213639501/