Recognise that voice folks?
A rather \'matter of fact\' exposure today from me as slightly short on time and its friday and looking at the computer is less and less appealing as we grapple through the last hours of a heavy week.
Taken By Trees is the solo project from Victoria Bergsman who was the former leadsinger of the Concretes. She has been snapped up by Rough Trade supporting in the release of her first album (from which this track is taken.
You may also recognise Victoria\'s voice from Peter, Bjorn and John\'s whistley \'Young Folks\' - Here, have a listen to Watch The Waves... Oh yeah one more trivial fact, the band name stems from Bergsman\'s love of nature, oh.
Taken By Trees is the solo project from Victoria Bergsman who was the former leadsinger of the Concretes. She has been snapped up by Rough Trade supporting in the release of her first album (from which this track is taken.
You may also recognise Victoria\'s voice from Peter, Bjorn and John\'s whistley \'Young Folks\' - Here, have a listen to Watch The Waves... Oh yeah one more trivial fact, the band name stems from Bergsman\'s love of nature, oh.
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Ballad of a kid from a brown-brick town...
Roots Union have plenty of American folk influence, from the instrumentals to the gospel-tinted vocals. At one end of the style range is a fairly gritty story-telling folk style, lightly smoked voice and upbeat rhythms. At the other end of the scale Roots Union dishes out epic ballads, for example in ‘Sketches’, at times reminiscent of a Stevie Wonder number. That comparison ought to give them a big head, really, but its just a passing sense of the similar, nothing to read too much into.
The Exeter-based four-piece headed up by Tobias, also featuring Hannah, Michael and Phillip wield a good variety of instruments, from slide to violin, harmonica to splendid harmonizing vocals. And they wield them well.
At Exposure we scour the land for music that makes us tingle, that jumps out and silences us with that awesome sense of something much bigger than us. Roots Union manage; finding this kind is stuff is what brought us to music in the first place.
So, here is ‘Rough Diamonds’ for you, which really is a remarkably excellent track. It’s a very old school take on northern roots, a ballad of a kid from a brown-brick town, contemplating what he’ll become, what job he’ll do – if any – and all that stuff. ‘What d’you want to be when you’re older? Will you be a tramp, a hawker, a tight-rope walker?’ he is asked, ‘Or will you never get your things together?’ A flutter of fear there for those of us dwelling in the skerries of meaningful employment, but the point is, of course, that you should just do something with a good heart and you’ll be fine. And so will we. It’s true, you know.
An old theme, delivered with reverence to the old ways but from a very new-build band. If you don’t like this track, then you probably just don’t like folk music. Which is fine, I guess. With any luck you’ll just see this for what it is, a simple, wistful and charming tale of what a bloke should do with his life. If you’re even luckier you might find it beautiful, or haunting. Songs can do that.
The Exeter-based four-piece headed up by Tobias, also featuring Hannah, Michael and Phillip wield a good variety of instruments, from slide to violin, harmonica to splendid harmonizing vocals. And they wield them well.
At Exposure we scour the land for music that makes us tingle, that jumps out and silences us with that awesome sense of something much bigger than us. Roots Union manage; finding this kind is stuff is what brought us to music in the first place.
So, here is ‘Rough Diamonds’ for you, which really is a remarkably excellent track. It’s a very old school take on northern roots, a ballad of a kid from a brown-brick town, contemplating what he’ll become, what job he’ll do – if any – and all that stuff. ‘What d’you want to be when you’re older? Will you be a tramp, a hawker, a tight-rope walker?’ he is asked, ‘Or will you never get your things together?’ A flutter of fear there for those of us dwelling in the skerries of meaningful employment, but the point is, of course, that you should just do something with a good heart and you’ll be fine. And so will we. It’s true, you know.
An old theme, delivered with reverence to the old ways but from a very new-build band. If you don’t like this track, then you probably just don’t like folk music. Which is fine, I guess. With any luck you’ll just see this for what it is, a simple, wistful and charming tale of what a bloke should do with his life. If you’re even luckier you might find it beautiful, or haunting. Songs can do that.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Daniel Cross runs Record-Play, he set it up around 7 years ago and thinks music is for hippies.Dan Garber... East London promoter, impresario, general man about town and champion of the world.
We have made this weekly new music bulletin to introduce you to some of the best breaking new bands we have found from going to gigs, browsing around the internet, reading music press or from demo's sent.
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