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Artist: Bright Season             Title:  Bright Season

 

The album takes you through the songs and tunes the trio have been performing over the past year, from the Shape-note hymn 'Africa' and a reworking of the traditional 'Wild Colonial Boy' to instrumentals 'Arrival' and 'Shotgun'.

 

Bright Season formed in 2013 bringing together the talents of Michael J Tinker, fiddle-player Ella Sprung and accordionist Simon Dumpleton. Together they perform traditional and self-penned songs and tunes, displaying their own individual gifts and combining to deliver stunning arrangements and harmonies. They draw on influences from all over the world, especially European folk, brought to the fore by Ella's Nyckelharpa.

 

The Album

 

“For this album we wanted to show the wide variety of what we do” says guitarist, Michael J Tinker.

 

“We love singing harmonies and telling stories and I think these are reflected in songs like Africa, The Wild Colonial Boy, and Shenandoah. We also like reworking traditional songs and giving them new melodies. And we love playing tunes! We wanted to give a taste of all of these passions and loves.”

 

 

As well as these traditional songs the band also play Robb Johnson's lesser known ballad 'My Mother Taught Me How To Waltz' and piper Andy May's polska 'Shotgun'. Perhaps a surprise on the album is the eerie 1930's 'Strange Fruit' by Abel Meeropol where the trio take advantage of being in the studio to create an atmosphere fitting for the heavy lyrics.

 

The final track 'The Yeoman's Son' also takes a different turn with Simon Dumpleton using the piano as Bright Season perform their take on the First World War poem of the same name by Cicely Fox Smith.

 

Perhaps the best thing about the album is that they recorded the songs as they would perform them. You get a real sense of what this band is about.

// Bright Season
Record of the Month
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