Track Listing

1. The Good Years
2. Sorry
3. Better Things
4. Rivers Run
5. Painted It White
6. Firethief
7. Behind Our
8. Eyes
9. The News
10. Sorrowlessfield
11. Tongue That Cannot Lie

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5220 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Q (****), April 08
"Rising Scottish folkstress still on the up...spellbinding voice...an exceptionally subtle and melodic songwriter...in a fairer world 'The Good Years' sumptuous harmonies would be all over the airwaves"

CD Description
Fourth album, her third of original material after a slightreturn to her trad roots on 2007's 'Fairest Floo'er', from the Scots folkstress. A winning amalgamation of traditional songwriting and instrumentation with jazz and pop influences, this is a showcase for the sort of deep and introspective lyrical perspective that has seen Polwart showered with praise and bestowed with multiple BBC folk awards.

About the Artist
The bittersweet, cascading harmonies of "The Good Years" sets the tone for Karine Polwart's new album This Earthly Spell (Hegri04). And it's been a good year indeed for The Scottish Borders based singer, who gave birth to her first child in 2007, and still managed to record enough material for not one but two new albums on her own label imprint Hegri Music.

Following the fireside intimacy of Scottish traditional collection Fairest Floo'er (Hegri03, Dec 2007), This Earthly Spell reinforces Polwart's reputation as a humane and perceptive songwriter who draws on indie and roots influences as much as folk traditions.

The chiming opening track, a gorgeous vocal setting of a lyric by eminent Scots poet Edwin Morgan, gives way to the steely, swampy "Sorry", whilst the delightful jazz inflected whimsy of "The News" contrasts the anti-nuclear political bite of "Better Things" and the incisive "Painted It White".

Unsurprisingly, for a new mum, three songs deal with motherhood. The poignant understatement of "Firethief", which Polwart wrote originally for HIV/AIDS documentary "The Enemy That Lives Within", one of BBC Radio 2's Radio Ballads, unravels a mother's loss; whilst she wrote the tender and delicate "Rivers Run" for her own son.

But it's the eerie and atmospheric parable "Tongue That Cannot Lie" that, most of all, betrays Polwart's background as a former philosophy teacher, and her ongoing fascination with moral ambivalence. Inspired by the supernatural legend surrounding thirteenth century Scottish Borders poet and prophet Thomas The Rhymer, it also distinguishes her as an ambitious and captivating storyteller.

Most of the album was recorded just a few miles away from her Borders home at the beautiful Heriot-Toun visual arts studio which she and her live band, with producer Calum Malcolm, transformed into a unique and intimate recording environment. But despite the rural influences, there's nothing escapist or sentimental about this collection of songs.

It's three years since Polwart scooped a trio of BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including "Best Album" for her debut Faultlines and "Best Original Song", an accolade she won for a second time in 2007. In the meantime, she's released two further solo albums, Scribbled in Chalk and Fairest Floo'er, and collaborated with the likes of Roddy Woomble and cult Glasgow indie outfit Future Pilot AKA. And she shows no sign of slowing down:

"More and more I feel like an album captures just a wee slice of time. I'm already working on new ideas and will be making new songs available through my website on a monthly basis this year for people who're interested. I think it's more and more important now for songwriters like me to offer something more than just a static piece of work."

Customer Reviews

Spellbound.......
I only really heard Karine's work for the first time when "Scribbled in Chalk" came out. I listened to the previews of the new album on her myspace page and almost fell off my chair. "Firethief" is powerful and moving especially given the subject matter, "The Good Years" uplifting with it's wonderful melody and vocal harmony and "Sorry" is just too good for words. Actually, there's not a bad song on this. Karine's voice is just perfect, the playing is impeccable, the lyrics are profound and the whole thing made me smile and cry at the same time. I haven't stopped playing it since I bought it. I've already told anyone who will listen that they should buy this album and reward real talent. I'm going to see her in Edinburgh next Sunday and can't wait. Am I gushing? Probably. There's much that is naff about Scottish music but this, currently, is about as good as it gets.

Yet another flawless album? Oh and then some!
Karine didn't have a tricky second album. "Scribbled in Chalk" managed to eclipse the impact of her debut solo album "Faultlines", and "Fairest Floor" followed that with equal aplomb, so surely "This Earthly Spell" will finally be a passing work, a mediocrity, proof that no artist can be that consistent. No. Not a bit. Here are 10 songs that would shame any first album with its treasure trove of long saved songs, that both hold together in their totality and yet offer everything from political vitriol to maternal love. A number of songs have had airings on You-Tube as rough recordings but now shine all the brighter for the airy backing vocals of Inge Thomson or the clever rhythms of messers Foulds & McGuire and the ever creative and tasty, tasty perfect simplicity of brother Steven.

This is real, visceral, potent, charming, intimate and profoundly beautiful song writing delivered by an Artist and band of genuine talent and ability which will push every emotional and cerebral button and leave you oddly comforted in it's very existence.

Another cracker!
Another amazing album from Karine Polwart. From the first time I heard one of her songs on Mike Harding's Radio 2 show I've been hooked. Hot off the heels of Fairest Floo'er is This Earthly Spell with some amazing new songs. The arrangements are fantastic with the instruments & vocals blending beautifully. I particularly love Better Things and the soppy but so lovely Rivers Run.