REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk

TWO’S COMPANY - Go Together
Private Label TCFCD01

Based in Sheffield, Two’s Company are just at the beginning of their journey in the folk world, and if this CD is anything to go by their voyage should be a long and fruitful one. The CD is a balanced mixture of material drawn from the tradition with additional songs and tunes they have composed themselves. Always taking centre stage for the various arrangements, for me the star of the show is the flute and piccolo playing from Alice Baillie, never more so than in the track entitled Winterfall, which is an arrangement by this talented duo of two tunes gleaned from the anthology of 1000 Dance Tunes, collated by Michael Raven.

Listening to the CD I suspect these two young musicians have been playing longer than they have been singing, however in their defence, everybody has to start somewhere. Whilst the choral aspect of Go Together is certainly acceptable, it does not surpass the instrumental element of the CD. Having said that, In Praise Of Darkness, for which Alice wrote the melody and lyrics, completely suits her voice. This is an interesting original song that explores a different angle to the traditional concept of the night, where “the darkness of the night gets a bad name in our traditional songs and stories. Here’s a good word for those peaceful and secret hours.”

David Jenkinson is the other half of Two’s Company, contributing vocals whilst valiantly accompanying the songs and instrumentals throughout on guitar, cello and mandolin, providing a solid base from which to build a pleasing whole.

Go Together is a courageous first album in which Alice and David acquit themselves very well indeed. If you see them on the bill seek them out and you won’t be disappointed.

www.twoscompanyfolk.co.uk

John Oke Bartlett