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NICK BURBRIDGE & TIM COTTERELL - Gathered

NICK BURBRIDGE & TIM COTTERELL - Gathered
Burbridge Arts  BACD002

Nick Burbridge is a poet, song and story writer from Brighton with an edgy, dark humour. In 1986 he co-founded McDermott's Two Hours, his song Dirty Davey famously being covered by The Levellers.

Gathered is a collection of contemporary songs rooted in the Irish tradition. Burbridge is joined by multi-instrumentalist and producer Tim Cotterell, who adds colour to the canvas painted by Burbridge’s often dark words, with elements of jigs and reels on fiddle, mandolin, banjo and harmonium. The arrangements are varied and sensitive, adding power to the songs.

The scholarly Song Of Sisyphus is a really beautiful folk song, with the memorable chorus; “He can’t see what you see when the rock begins to fall.”  On the lighter side, Sister Mercy is a neo-Irish romp, while the opening number casts a wry look at being stranded on the Last Train Home, cleverly weaving in a snatch of Oh Mr Porter, What Shall We Do?  Sorrow No More is a poignant requiem for a lost friend, Burbridge singing with heightened emotion over Cotterell’s delicate legato fiddle and harmonium.

This excellent CD is much more than just an album of folk songs. It is a collection of stories to listen to and reflect on time and time again!
www.burbridgearts.org

Keith Whiddon

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This album was reviewed in Issue 92 of The Living Tradition magazine.