GRANNY’S ATTIC - Wheels Of The World
Grimdon Records GRICD001
I love it when an album like this comes in. It makes me remember why I love folk music so much. Granny’s Attic, for the uninitiated, is a three-piece English folk band comprising Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome and Lewis Wood, who play and sing traditional material, or things that have been written very much in that genre. They have already won the hearts of many on the scene and this, their third album, will do nothing but cement their impeccable reputation further.
They have an embarrassment of riches in that they have three great singers, at least two of which (Cohen and George) are strong leads, giving plenty of scope for interesting vocal arrangements and harmonies. Instrumentally, all three are at the top of their game, and the interplay between fiddle/viola, anglo concertina/melodeon and guitar is at once very trad-sounding, and very fresh and exciting.
The album starts really strongly with the title track, a rhythmic, punchy romp through some of history’s key “spinners” gleaned from the Bodleian Broadside Ballads collection via Len Graham. This collection is also responsible for another great song here, What I Saw In My Dream As I Slept In My Chair, well sung by George and cleverly adapted to reflect current affairs. Cohen shines on The Banks Of Green Willow, his concertina accompaniment particularly good; chordal and droney along with the fiddle and guitar. But there is not a bad song or tune here; all are played with energy and life, with appropriate restraint where necessary.
People talk about Granny’s Attic’s youthful exuberance and say that “the future of the music is in great hands”. They are right and it is. But so is the present. Regardless of their age, Granny’s Attic is one of the best. And they are just getting better and better.
www.grannysattic.org.uk
Fiona Heywood
This review appeared in Issue 130 of The Living Tradition magazine