Description
Fellside presents a debut album by two artists who have been gigging around for several years, but who are now moving up a gear in their musical career.
Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith play traditional and original folksongs of the British Isles. They tell stories of hardship, joy, struggle and celebration held together with driving banjo and guitar arrangements and close vocal harmonies.
They have both been heavily influenced by the songs and singers of East Anglia, where they both grew up, but their music also reflects the diversity of voices within the folk and acoustic world. They weave traditional English folksong with Irish, Scottish and American tunes, and their own compositions draw on many different styles.
The songs on their new album have been picked up from sessions, singarounds, gigs, recordings and learned from friends. The stories are varied but there is a common thread of political struggle and resistance, and the decline of the industries that were the backbone of England for many generations. Jimmy and Sid both work towards environmental protection, Sid in traditional forestry and Jimmy as an environmental campaigner, and the political elements of these pursuits inform much of their music.
The album is very much rooted in traditional music but it is not bound by it and there are a few odd combinations that would unsettle the purist. But it delivers a fresh interpretation of some well travelled tunes and songs which manage to bridge between the tradition and modern times.
Fellside has an enviable record of spotting new talent and them giving debut albums, particularly talented duos who go on to greater things - Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Spiers & Boden and, more recently, Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar - Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith are in good company!