Review:

on 2009-08-11 huwoliver Said:

"James Yorkston, resident of the East Neuk of Fife, returns in the company of The Big Eyes Family Players with a new album of traditional songs from the length and breadth of the Great Britain & Ireland and one tune from Galicia in Spain." That's from the beginning of James' press release for his new album, I think it sums it up nicely. The 39 year old has been planning this release for nearly a decade now and has finally got it on the shelves. 3 of the songs on the album, have been previously played by folk musician Anne Briggs; "Hills of Greenmoor", "Martinmas Time" & "Thorneymoor Woods". Others on the album have been played reasonably recently played by Nic Jones, Christy Moore, Peter Kennedy, Eliza Carthy and Joseph Taylor. But, the songs date as far back as the 17th century with second track "Just As The Tide Was Flowing" dating back to Thomas D'Urfy's play The Virtuous Wife, written in 1679. So pushing that all aside, the album is basically just another Folk album of covers. To be fair, it's a little more than that i suppose. The album is very well sequenced and many tracks are fabulously produced, "Martinmas Time" being my personal favourite. But unfortunately it's actually quite difficult to listen to the album in full, by the 6th track it all gets a bit monotonous and you find yourself needing a pee/tea break by then, or even before. Although James and friend James Green of the B.E.F.Players have arranged a nice album, it just isn't interesting as it could be.
Rating: 6/10