PICCARD & MASURE - Webbesnaren 2.0
Appel Rekords APR1397
There seems to be a decent number of high calibre recordings from the Low Countries at the moment. This album from a well-respected Belgian duo confirms the welcome trend. Guido Piccard and Philip Masure have just about solved the thorny problem of that notoriously tricky second album. Their opening salvo 20 years ago remains an established favourite, carrying the title of Webbesnaren, and they call this one “a kind of upgrade” from their previous duo CD and their previous work together as a pairing. Given that their concept remains intact for this long-awaited return, it was an easy decision to continue the use of the brand name. Webbesnaren means “web of strings” in Flemish, and that is pretty much what you get here, although with a little more outside help this time.
Piccard's strings include guitars, cisters, mandolin, ukulele and a Flemish ukulele, all played with panache. Masure, known primarily for his guitar work, takes care of the rest, along with guests whose contributions give the duo a fuller sound than has been heard from them before. They look further afield than the other half of their bilingual country, and there are plenty of nods in other directions, with the Laouto Schottish a particularly good example. They do not stray far from their role as a primarily instrumental ensemble, but the two songs in this collection show another side of their abilities, with Soetkin Collier contributing vocals on Brief Aan Kamiel and Nachtgedachten. On this admittedly brief sample, she sounds a formidable singer, who could be heard from in future in a variety of settings.
www.folk.be
Dave Hadfield
This review appeared in Issue 135 of The Living Tradition magazine