Search - June Tabor :: At the Wood's Heart

Understated radiance.June Tabor's finest effort to date.

Azoic | Portland, Oregon United States | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"June Tabor never fails to amaze me with her ability to find the song whose lyric is relevant to both these times and times of yore.Human nature seldom changes,it's simply disguised by a thin veneer of zeitgeist from one era to another.The human condition is such that alot many of us are on a constant quest for warth,security and uncompromising acceptance.Good luck.This collection of songs deals with this aching among other subjects.I,personally have never been so moved,as when I saw June and Huw Warren,on piano,in performance for my first time.I was astounded my how immediate,personal and visceral the singer/singee connection could be.Both June and Huw are together again on this cd.A good number of other fine musicians are here as well including Mark Emerson on violin.The overall feel of this effort is spare,austere,understated,and majestically sublime.Production is appropriate.The engineering and miking are perfect for this sub-genre of music.I really prefer not to describe individual songs as June educes a state of mind as well as anyone can,and it's best to listen for overall effect.June Tabor sings timeless words and her ensemble works symbiotically sans any showboating or grandstanding.The song is the message.If I had to choose one singer to take with me it would be June Tabor.Do take a chance on this artist.It's a rich and satisfying listen."

One Of Our Finest Singers.

Mr. M. P. Duffy | Littlehampton, West Sussex United Kingdom | 11/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I heard news of this release I was over the moon. Having thoroughly enjoyed her recent live performances that included this material I was so hoping an album was immanent, and thankfully I wasn't disappointed! Although an album never comes quite as close to conveying the same depth of emotion that's realised when you're lucky enough to be in the presence of a singer able to embody the mood of the song in gesture & deportment also, this comes amazingly close. Particularly outstanding are Johnny Johnny, Les Choses Les Plus Simples, She's Like A Swallow, and The Cloud Factory.



At The Woods Heart is as good as, if not better than, An Echo Of Hooves. There's not one track that lets the album down. It's also great to see the same line-up of accompanists, they fashion the perfect frame for June's voice, neither dominating or disappearing into the background. How anyone can listen to the swathe of old tat that passes for music in the 'charts' when there are gems like this to be heard is one of those eternal mysteries! Here's hoping for many more albums in this vein!



"

Poised but understated

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 07/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For admirers of Tabor's albums "An Echo of Hooves" and "A Quiet Eye," this should please. It offers prominent vocals overlaying sparse instrumentation. Tabor sounds more at ease with conveying emotion; at times on recent records she veered melodramatically towards the malevolent in her bold efforts to avoid another mellow round of a Child ballad. "She's Like the Swallow" continues Tabor's detours into light-jazz that have become more common over her last fifteen years; however, Duke Ellington's "Do Nothing Until You Hear From Me" does not differ from the other selections. While her retreat from bland popular and jazz selections bodes well for fans of her folk standards, the album mopes rather than enchants. Its homogeneity steadies "At the Wood's Heart," but its coherence does, over the dozen selections lasting an hour, slow the album's total effect into creating an introspective mood rather than asserting songs that would stand out individually. Too few here do. Tabor's command is her vocal strength. But her steady control, relying on a contemplative rather than an active presence, blurs these particular voices drawn from a variety of songwriters and sources. These range from Anna McGarrigle's "Heart Like a Wheel" to Chaucer's "Now Welcome Summer." The closing "Lie Near Me" predictably marries sax and piano in a prim but dull arrangement. This style fails to project Tabor's interpretative powers. It recalls Joni Mitchell's forays into light jazz in which she sought to free herself from a similarly tight folk restraint. "The Broomfield Wager" picks up momentum, but it follows the opening "The Banks of Sweet Primroses"- its subdued elegance characterizes this album's ambiance rather than spirited folk numbers. (My review also on RootsWorld site)"