Description
Ray Cooper, who left the legendary Oysterband in 2013 to pursue a successful solo career, here presents his third album. It is a big sounding record with serious themes but is nevertheless simple, raw, joyous, and unashamedly romantic.
While Cooper continues to develop as a singer, here he plays all the instruments too, in a stripped down production inspired by producer Rick Rubin's treatment of Johnny Cash's late recordings. The familiar mandolin, cello, guitar and harmonica are all there but Cooper also makes his recording debut as a piano player and features it prominently throughout the album.
There is folk here but it's never quite folk. Nevertheless the album is more English sounding too, with the inclusion of several trad tunes and songs woven into the album as the listener is taken on a journey from the English countryside, to Flanders, Venice, Beirut, and even to the moon in his song 'Ocean Of Storms'.
The opening track 'Drunk On Youth' describes a happy memory as a teenager, swimming in a river drunk, the album moves on to describe the true story of a maverick soldier in WWI, the beautiful Arab singer Asmahan, a holiday romance, being a father, the present day migrants in the Mediterranean, before ending with the classic hymn 'Wayfairing Stranger', all of which fall nicely under the umbrella of the title. 'Between The Golden Age & The Promised Land'.
'The golden age and the promised land are the two great dreams. Both are exaggerations, probably, but nevertheless compelling. The dream of how great things used to be and the dream of how great they are going to be'.
Press on Ray Coopers previous recordings:
fROOTS Oct 2014 'Like its predecessor, Palace Of Tears is a mighty sounding record, one which audibly means business right from the outset'
Maverick November 2014 **** 'There's folk here but it's never quite folk, instead taking on a romantic and cerebral edge giving it a very different crossover appeal.....A sterling piece of work'
Fatea Oct 2014 'A maelstrom of an album'
Spiral Earth 28 July 2014 'It works incredibly well'
Tales of Love War and Death by Hanging 2010
fROOTS. 'Rather like Ennio Morricone galloping through the brooding grandeur of the Nordic forests with a trusty cello as sword and emblem. Compelling stuff'.
RootsWorld . 'This is a terrific album, one that you will carry with you down the days'.
Spiral Earth . 'This is a big proud record that bares its chest and grips you all the way through; the tales of love are tender and gently heartbreaking, the tales of war reveal the nobility and sorrow in the heart of the warrior... life, love and death, the biggest issues in the world. Cooper exhibits a masterful musicianship and songwriting'.
