Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/03/2007
If songs are in theory nothing more than
poetry set to music, then it seems like most poets should take to songwriting like
Dylan Thomas to a bottle of brandy. Right? This is the big idea behind
Ballads of the Book, a collection of 18 song collaborations between Scottish musicians and writers. And for the most part, the premise seems to work, if only because there are some great artists involved. The brainchild of a chance meeting between
Idlewild's
Roddy Woomble and poet
Edwin Morgan, this disc features writers like
John Burnside,
A.L. Kennedy, and
Ian Rankin -- in other words, some of the biggest names in contemporary Scottish literature -- teaming up with
folk and
indie rock regulars like
Mike Heron,
Vashti Bunyan,
King Creosote, and
De Rosa. There are at least two reasons to give this collection a chance. One is the stunning collaboration between
Mike Heron and
John Burnside, in which
Heron's bleak, hoarse vocals offer a wonderful match for
Burnside's exacting lyrics. The other is
"The Weight of Years," Idlewild and
Morgan's joint effort, in which
Morgan's translation of a fragment from
Sappho is nudged into a memorable, song-shaped tribute. This disc is a mixed bag, stylistically speaking, ranging from sparse, straight-backed piano arrangements to lush,
Sufjan Stevens-like
chamber pop flourishes. But it manages to remain cohesive, if only because everyone here sounds incredibly Scottish: it's stark and bloody (see
"The War on Love Song"), and full of heart-worn angles and hard muscle (
"A Sentimental Song"). This is an ambitious, rewarding collection, and it's a real treat for those who know a little about the writers involved.
~Margaret Reges, All Music Guide
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