ACOUSTIC
ROOM, LATE FOR THE SKY (Italy)
by Roberto Menabò
Some young
people - in their hurry to get a record out - burn their fingers
with works which they grow to repent of. Others however wait until
they have something to say. Allie Fox is no newcomer, but
since you don't ask a lady her age, let's just say that she's been
around the Scottish folk scene for some years, and now she has come
up with Diving For Pearls which has more than rightly won
over the English critics. A polished, pleasing and captivating CD,
Diving For Pearls has all the prerequisites to be considered
one of the most intriguing albums of folk songs this year. Make
no mistake: Ms Fox does not harp back to tradition, but writes
terse and lyrical songs with a clear acoustic folk approach. With
a few but sound musicians around her, some from the Mike Heron Band.
Ms Fox performs her songs for us with single-mindedness and
professionalism of a kind which is astounding for a debut performance.
The tracks come over as fresh and immediate. The opening song Out
of the Blue is catchy, while others, like the biting The
Meaning Of Love are more introspective and contemplative. All
however are characterised by sophisticated and precise arrangements,
thanks too to the support of Iain McKinna. Ms Fox's voice
is individual, never strained and never straying, but pure and delicate,
its sensitivity calling to mind the unforgettable Sandy Denny. Moon
Over The Rooftops sees her come to grips with a kind of Soho
Blues. It turns the spotlight on her abilities as an acoustic guitarist,
which ought to prove of even greater service in a future project,
an unaccompanied instrumental guitar album. Great stuff, look out
for the next one.
Special thanks
to Tom Cunningham, web designer for the official Rod Clements website,
for this translation.
THE
SOUTHERN REPORTER
Joe Louis Blues
Joe
Louis Blues, the trailer track from Allie Fox's long-awaited
album Diving for Pearls, is quite brilliant. It's about the
20 times world boxing champion and comes complete with silky harmonies
and strings flowing over the folk-singer's famous guitar work.
Explaining
Louis' roots and the way he struck a blow for freedom in the ring,
the lyrics dovetail near the climax into an African chant. The track
helped along by Iain McKinna on bass, keyboards and vocals, John
Rutherford on slide guitar and Dave Haswell on drums and percussion
certainly whets appetites for the release of the album on Vixen
Records.
THE
SOUTHERN REPORTER
Allie's Pearls a Real Gem
The Selkirk
singer's sultry tones, backed by a folk-based, sun-soaked instrumental
blend, provides the perfect antidote to some of the more bizarre
musical offerings around today.
Top tracks
are the already reviewed and obvious single Joe Louis Blues
which kicks you till you cry out, the sparkling Out of the Blue,
the clever, upbeat Backstreet Girl that splashes over you,
and the soulful yet sombre Birdwoman with its silky production.
I Was Wrong is tight and memorable, and in The Moon Above
the Rooftops there is even a hint, after the Vangelis-like start
and finger-picking guitar work, of, dare I say it, Mungo Jerry!
All in all, it is an outright must. All local outlets must stock
it and all folk fans in the Borders must buy it. Already the album
is attracting national media interest, including MOJO which has
described it as "a beautiful debut album."
THE
SOUTHERN REPORTER
Hunt Down this Fox CD
"At
last I can say: this song's from my new album." With that typically
lighthearted introduction, Selkirk-based singer-songwriter Allie
Fox effortlessly eased into a quite spellbinding showcase of
songs from her debut CD Diving for Pearls.
Aided and abetted by some of the most tasteful and accomplished
contemporary musicians around, she proceeded to command a respect
from her audience which would be hard to muster in a cathedral -
let alone a busy pub.
Fox is certainly one of a rare breed - a fiercely determined and
meticulous music maker who certainly knows how to promote herself,
but with a vulnerability which is not at all affected and cuts across
all the hype, endearing her to live audiences. It is a common touch
which also transcends her music, inducing in the listener a strong
sense of empathy, even ownership.
Brilliant though the components of each well-constructed song are,
Allie Fox is far greater than the sum of her parts and that is why
Diving for Pearls is a must for your CD collection. From
the upbeat Moon Above the Rooftops to the intensely moving
Joe Louis Blues, via the heartstring-tugging title track,
Diving for Pearls is a classic compendium - six years in
the preparation - of songs which, though often introspective, are
catchily accessible.
And as live gigs go, Thursday's effort would take a lot of beating
in any context, featuring as it did the CD's producer Iain McKinna
on keyboards, John Rutherford (guitar), Wendy Weatherby (cello)
and two refugees from the Nat Kings: drummer David Little and fretless
bassist Gavin Dickie. They stirred up the sweetest musical potion
which was beautifully served up by Sound Station engineer Dave Angus.
