SONGS FROM THE BLUE HOUSE REVIEWS

From netrhythms.co.uk:

Tree

How often have those of us of a certain age, sat down and pondered the question, what would Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper have sounded like had it been recorded by CS&N with Flock's David La Flamme on violin. Clearly the same conundrum has been bothering the East Anglians, and so, enlisting Richard Lockwood to transpose the guitar solo to fiddle, they've posited their own answer on this third album. Makes you wonder why Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma didn't think of it in the first place.

Again built around the core trio of Messrs Kirk, Partridge and Hammond, returning regulars Helen Mulley on vocals (once more giving it the country Beautiful South touches) and banjo man Tony Winn are joined by a plethora of part timers and guests that include pedal steel man Nick Zala, cellist Liz Townsend and, among the heavenly choir backing vocals on the lyrically ambiguous Risk, Judy Dyble.

And, more good news is that the BOC re-imagining isn't the only inspiration evident here, either. Not messing around, they get the ball rolling with one of the best numbers, Beartown Road, a rolling Gram-like country number with weeping pedal steel in which a man joins the other absent sons at the cemetery on Mother's Day, reflecting on his decision to put mom in a home. Lumps in throat all round. How good is it? So good it could have been written by Gerry Colvin.

Rummaging through the other cuts, you'll find yourself tapping toes to Her, a catchy little singalong with Mulley taking the woman left behind vocals, swooning through the romantic In My Arms which is basically their Lady In Red but considerably less annoying and beating time on the steering wheel as you plough through the spidery, violin scraping night of Song V, an East Anglian road song about keeping your eyes on the white line and listening to Del Amitri.

They've been in the trunks too to dust down a couple of numbers left gathering dust; Incredible a re-recording of an early 90s B side and Kings And Gods, a plaintively romantic song Mulley co-wrote and recorded with Steve Mears that proves another highlight to stand alongside Katy Did's touching portrait of a young girl growing up and the banjo flecked dust-throated Bob Lind-like Vanilla that contains references to, among others, The Waterboys, Guy Clark and Loudon Wainwright for those smart and with time enough to spot them.

It's all wrapped up in a bow with another old tune, parading their sea shanty and sway folk flavours with squeeze box and guest vocalist Paul Mosley for Come On # 2, a fine play out to an album that, as the title suggests, has the bark to go with its bite.

Mike Davies October 2007

Also from netrhythms.co.uk:

Tree

About the only thing missing from Songs From The Blue House's latest album Tree, is a barrel of beer and a pub full of good friends. This is music to be enjoyed in good company.

It is also about as far from shallow, meaningless and soulless entertainment as you could get, it is warm and full of life. Tree is the kind of music, non-musicians dream about making. Instead of being ornate, fussy and unnecessarily over emotional, the delicate shades of folk, roots, country and perhaps the merest whisper of bluegrass combine to create a diamond. It normally grates when a band that is perfectly capable of writing its own songs includes a 'token' cover but I have to admit that the band's version of (Don't Fear) The Reaper works well. If it's a token then it's the kind given to a much-loved friend.

It may seem like its stating the obvious, but Tree is entirely about the music. Too many throw in the kitchen sink, in the hope of creating lasting effect, SFTBH add gentle layer upon gentle layer, the result is far more telling and long-lasting.

This is an album built around folk music at its subtle best, Her, In My Arms and Kings and Gods come straight from the souls of musicians, all three are naturally captivating without flaunting their rough-hewn credentials. The band is a tight, talented unit - it has no reason or need to suggest otherwise.

SFTBH may not be the loudest or most forceful of bands but then again, it has no need to be when it has material of this calibre at its disposal. However, there is still a fire burning underneath the likes of Song V (luckily it's also the fifth song on the album). It's an untouched tribute to the best traditions of folk, it has a story to tell and it tells it plainly and without fuss.

But there is just no getting away from the fact that Tree is an album built and designed to be enjoyed and savoured. Nowhere is there any pretence or suggestion of a barrier between band and listener. Quite clearly SFTBH had a whale of a time making it and poured a collective heart and soul into it. It doesn't take a genius to work out what you put in, you get out, so enjoy.

Mike Mee September 2007

netrhythms.co.uk sftbh reviews

Songs from the Blue House - 'Tree'

The band members from Songs from the Blue House are an unpredictable mix of an ex-punk bass player, an 80's drummer, Fish's tour keyboard player and 'McFly's pedal steel player of choice' to name but a few! It's fair to say then that this collection of musicians have seen and done a lot on the music scene over the years but have come together to make a pleasant and easy listening folk rock CD 'Tree'.

Starting off it could be mistaken for the Eagles as full sounding acoustic guitars keep a steady country folk rhythm flowing. When listening to this collection of musicians it's easy to imagine yourself somewhere in the heart of the deep south of America sipping on a Jack Daniels as you stare out onto barren land, it's certainly a good way to relax after a hard day at work!

Each individual song is well crafted with an array of instruments and backing vocals thrown into the mix, some including different guitars, fiddles and banjo's are a little overwhelming at some points but give it a very nice sound. The standout tracks are undoubtedly 'Risk' and 'Her', which is a kind of acoustic country jig! 'Beartown Road' is also strong and there is also an interesting cover of the 'Cult' classic 'Don't Fear The Reaper'. 

If you are a regular on the acoustic/folk circuit this CD is definitely for you. It's very easy listening but also has some meaningful and interesting lyrics for the discerning listeners out there. I think it's fair to say commercial stardom is not what this group is after, but then a solid fan base and making good music is in many ways much more fulfilling and they have obviously had a lot of fun in making this record. 

I'm not sure where the title came from or where the Blue House is exactly but wherever it is there's a lot of talent hanging around in there making music! Expect to see them at High Barn in the near future and around the circuit no doubt.

Elliot Porter, www.music-zine.co.uk 

From americana-uk.com:

Cult takes over Tree

This is the third full length from Suffolk band Songs from the Blue House, the second one was called ‘Too’, geddit? There’s about a million of them in the band, well 11 or so, and it wouldn’t be unfair to call them a kind of ‘folk collective’. With such a large number of musicians involved it must be stiff competition to get a song on the record, it seems to be James Partridge that owns the football since he gets eight writing credits, Shane Kirk’s next with seven, those two both produced. They also take lead vocals on most of the songs. The common aspect of the multi-headed beast is that the general style is modern Brit folk (as opposed to traditional Brit folk) with pop, country, and alt-country undertones, the latter two dragged into the argument by Nick Zala’s fine pedal steel . The biggest shocker on the record is a folk take on the Blue Oyster Cult’s vampire classic ‘(Dont Fear) The Reaper’, now while revamping heavy rock in other musical genres is nothing new, in fact it’s almost a requirement these days for any right thinking acoustic troubadour to trot out ‘The Ace Of Spades’ or ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’, this one however really pulls it off. It’s as though the original was the cover, and the Songs from the Blue House version is as nature intended, the subtleties of the acoustic instruments and the sweet vocal harmonies all work perfectly. If such things as singles, airplay, charts and hits were still around this should be doing all that.

The down side of such a sparkling cover of an extraordinary song is that the band’s own songs are a bit thin by comparison. Least pleasing is ‘Song V’, which does a sort of country road travellin’ man thing but based in Britain, ‘Looking out over the Humber’ it starts, then goes on about ‘black top hummin’’, that just sounds wrong. ‘Vanilla’ is similar but manages to be less grating because it has US place names, as always, San Antone’s in there, a town chock full of disgruntled empty pocketed musos looking for bus stations, jumping box cars etc.. Helen Mulley sings lead on a couple of songs and it would have been nice to hear more of her, ‘Kings and Gods’ is particularly fine, a nicely understated performance by all, the cello providing the perfect mood. Occasionally things get dangerously ‘Lady In Red’, such as the smoochy ‘In My Arms’ and ‘Little Lies’, but they just about get away with it, the band are better when they don’t aim for the middle of the road, ‘Don’t Lose’ has a Nick Drake air to it, which is a very good thing to flush thoughts of the DeBurgh from your head. The album closer is ‘Come On #2 (Live From Northern Quebec)’, the Quebec thing is telling reference (google it if you don’t know!), this one is more trad folk than anything else on the record, listening to it feels like a fine old beer sodden time in a crowded pub, the band are clearly very good at this. Overall ‘Tree’ is a mixture, as you might expect from a band of many, some things work well, others are harder to live with, but it’s always interesting and I’m sure a live show would be well worth seeking out.

Date review added: Sunday, September 23, 2007 Reviewer: Patrick Wilkins Reviewers Rating: 6/10

The first 'Tree' review..."Rootsy pop from a band at the peak of their powers".

If there is such thing as a local super-group (and I see no reason why there shouldn’t be) then SFTBH certainly fit the bill. Without taking anything away from the rest of the group, James Partridge is in many ways the main man. He’s been a key figure on the Suffolk music scene for well over twenty years and never once during that time has he been prepared to rest on his laurels. These days he’s married with a family but don’t think for one moment that out come the pipe and slippers when he gets home from work. Far from it, James has got plenty of music left in the tank and he’s now singing and playing better than ever. His writing remains as sharp as it was in the days of As Is. 

Guitarist and singer Shane Kirk has always been a great foil for James and together they’ve written four songs on Tree. All but one of the dozen tracks are originals with the only cover being their unique take on Blue Oyster Cult’s rock classic (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. 

The musicianship is right out of the top drawer with guests like pedal steel guitarist Nick Zala, cellist Liz Townsend and AloneMe’s Sarah Springett and David Booth adding some vital ingredients without ever coming close to stealing the show. This is very much a Songs From The Blue House affair. It’s the sort of album fans of The Waterboys will love and in fact, I’d go as far as to suggest that Mike Scott himself would have enjoyed being involved in this. 

There’s a little bit of folk, country, bluegrass and pop but more importantly there’s a lot of Songs From The Blue House. I’m sure when I look back on 2007 this will be one of my favourite local albums. On second thoughts take out the word local, this stands up alongside music from anywhere in the world.

Stephen Foster (Ipswich Evening Star)

'The Word' gives us a very welcome nod...

"Fantastic - I would recommend them to anybody" - Mark Ellen, Editor - The Word magazine.

A 'Too' review...

Songs from The Blue House - Too (Blue House Records) 

What becomes obvious fairly early on is that Songs From The Blue House is more a collection of talented musicians than a normal band. Depending on what source you use there could be six, seven or as many as 14 members, plus a couple of guests on Too but never mind the quantity hear the quality. 

The way the band/collective appears to have drifted together and then developed organically is mirrored in the music. There is a lightness and naturalness about it all. The common thread between tracks that have cast their net far and wide for inspiration, is the inspiration of the members and the simple joy they derive from playing. Nothing is strained or forced and, in place of the intensity and introspection that sometimes shrinks folks music's appeal, Too is open and fresh. 

It's also a rather curious album, with such a large number of members you half expect each track to become a showcase for individual talent but throughout it's the song that holds sway. Song III draws heavily on bluegrass while Antibike fits neatly into country swing. While there's obviously been a great deal of thought and care put into getting the songs just right, it still manages to sound wonderfully spontaneous. Whether that's because it's the music that is the album's glue rather than career ambition, is up for argument but ultimately who cares? Just enjoy the ride. 

It's frustratingly impossible to put your finger exactly on the attraction of Too. The vocals, shared by James Partridge and Helen Mulley, provide a focal point and again both singers bring an openness and honesty, however the true core of its appeal goes much deeper than that, Not That Kind Of Girl has a spring in its step, The Big Dipper a sense and appreciation of tradition, Ophelia is the kind of song a man could lose his head over and the second of the, rather annoyingly, untitled 'bonus' songs is thoughtful and intelligent. 

Everything about Too screams class, except that nothing on the album is vulgar enough to scream anything, when you're as good as this there's no need to shout. Someday, someone will accurately encapsulate the pleasure of Songs From The Blue House. Until that day, do what I did, sit back, relax and submerge yourself in an album that opens up the previously rather cloistered world of folk music.

Michael Mee

'Too' review from www.netrhythms.co.uk

As you might surmise from the title, this is the second album from the East Anglian outfit, once a core trio of James Partridge, Shane Kirk and Richard Hammond and now expanded to a sextet with added guests as the occasion requires.

They made their name playing beer festivals, which seems a lot more attractive than the usual club and pub toilets, before deciding to take the lark seriously. The released their eponymous debut back in 2003, since which time they've honed the act considerably, sharpening up their electric folk rock and bluegrassy sound and songs, enlisting Russell Barnes and Pete Pawsey to add banjo, mandolin, zither and dobro to the mix and, most crucially, bringing in Helen Mulley to take most of the lead vocals and provide harmonies with Partridge, often making them sound like a folksier Beautiful South. You'll get a rough idea of what to expect from the fact that they talk about REM and the Be Good Tanyas as influences.

The material's strong too, setting the standard from the opening with the Appalachian flavoured banjo plinking 'clippity-clop' verse sharing Song III and proceeding through a wad of infectious delights that include the hot club coloured fiddle swing Antbike, the legs-weakening sadness of the euphonium tinged Waste of Angels where Mulley sounds possessed by the spirits of Sandy and Lucinda simultaneously, and the big music that is Then There Was Sunshine.

There's not really a lame track here, but pushed to pin down personal favourites I'd have to nominate the triple set of Not That Kind of Girl (a wonderful lolloping English pop folk singalong with hints of early Kirsty McColl), Ophelia (a soul-stirring emotionally soaring Celtic mist number derived not from Hamlet but Mulley's character in their faux-cowboy band The Perfectly Good Guitars ) and The Big Dipper, a cajun-rhythmed, jug bandy type thing that Partridge says was influenced by Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt but which, I'd lay odds, also owes a debt to Miracle Legion's The Backyard with its "the world was so big and we were so small" chorus.

"It's an ordinary wonderful, an earthly kind of magical" sings Kirk on the closing Another Happy Day. Seems a reasonable description of the album.

PS: The sleeve lists 11 tracks, but you'll find two hidden bonus numbers too, a live to four track Small Town originally intended for an earlier Kirk project and Tumble, rescued from a solo Partridge CD released in 1992 under the John Fowlesian pseudonym of Daniel Martin if you fancy playing completist.

Mike Davies

Live review from Farnsfield Acoustic gig, 12/11/05

'Too' review from Maverick Magazine January 2006 issue : -

Folk music of the highest quality from a group of very talented musicians This is a very impressive album of mainly up-beat folk tunes. James Partridge and Helen Mulley duet impeccably on the opener Song III, and Helen takes sole lead on the jaunty Antibike.

James and Helen share lead vocal duties on all but one song, with guitarist Shane Kirk taking the lead on the mellow Another Happy Day which has a quite rousing and rocking finale. Helen is also joined by guest vocalist Alie Byrne to duet on the cheery Not That Kind Of Girl. Not having heard this group before meant that I was listening to this CD completely fresh, and I have to admit that I liked what I heard from the very start. The music is very innovative, and the vocals are at times so bright and breezy they are positively glowing! 

James also plays guitar with Helen also chipping in with the flute, and along with Shane they are also joined by regular members Richard Hammond on bass, Richard Lockwood on fiddle and Russell Barnes on banjo, dobro and guitar, as well as regular guest musician Tony Winn on banjo. Helen again takes lead vocals on the pensive Waste Of Angels and the winsome Ophelia. Whereas James entices us onto The Big Dipper with wonderful accompaniment from Chris Jarvis on piano accordion, then guides us through the darkness on the light and airy Then There Was Sunshine. 

A quite enchanting and captivating album from a very talented folk band from Essex and Suffolk. Hopefully they will be at the Cambridge Folk Festival next year as I would love to catch this group live. 

David Knowles

'Too' review from www.americana-uk.com : -

This follow-up album to SftBH’s 2003 debut is a set of varied, original folk honed to perfection from steady gigging on the East Anglian beer festival circuit. 

With such a large collective of musicians here, it’s difficult to know whom to credit but it seems the core trio are guitarists Shane Kirk and James Partridge and bassist Richard Hammond. Kirk and vocalist Helen Mulley write most of the songs with Partridge nudging in where he can. 

This is a fairly democratic outfit without any obvious stars and it is usually the balance of instrumentation that makes the magic more than lyrics or lead vocals. Russell Barnes and Pete Pawsey particularly, trading off on dobro, banjo and mandolin are integral to everything that is good about these songs. 

Helen Mulley turns in charming lead vocals on ‘Ophelia’ and ‘Forever’ (as does Partridge on the sad and dreamy ‘Leaves’) but it is the general texture and natural joy of the instrumentation that makes this album memorable. It’s not quite Music from Big Pink but, as part of the fine English folk tradition, the music from the Blue House more than holds its own and probably sounds even more vibrant and uninhibited in an open field or a crowded pub.

Robin Cracknell

'Too' review from www.folking.com, : -

East Anglian based Songs From The Blue House (which from now on will be referred to as SftBH!) are in principle a three piece outfit that have different musicians playing with them at different times. A slightly confusing situation I'm sure but if they are going to produce music like this it is obviously a formula that works very nicely indeed.

The core three are singer/guitarist James Partridge, guitarist Shane Kirk and bass player Richard 'Gibbon' Hammond. Having played around their local scene as individuals for years they decided that the best thing would be to get together and so the SftBH project was formed. The debut, self titled album was released in 2003 and is a fine listen, however this new record pretty much beats it all ends out as far as I'm concerned, and as I'm the reviewer, for this short period of time it's my view that counts! It's not that the first record is bad in any way, you can just tell that for this second release the band has come on leaps and bounds. They sound tighter, the writing and performing is slicker and the whole package is just very well rounded. It hasn't been out of my car for at least three months!

With the three 'actual members' come a whole host of guests, with the stand out being vocalist Helen Mulley. She possesses a sweet tone and brings a lot to the bands sound and appeal (not just because she's female...you know what I mean!?) The harmonies that she achieves with Partridge takes a lot of the numbers to the next level, there aren't enough acts anymore with two really good singers but this band can boast this. Add fiddle, mandolin, drums/percussion, harmonica, banjo and a stadium full of Ipswich Town fans and you have pretty much everything that plays a part on this album, although I'm sure I've forgotten something!

Standout tracks for me: - The haunting 'Waste Of Angels', which gives Mulley a real stage on which to shine, that she takes advantage of wonderfully; the opening track 'Song III' gives you a taste of what this band can do with regards the immense sound they can achieve; and the country-esque 'On The Contrary' with its bluegrass feel. Mind you, saying they are my favourite tracks is really just giving you some indication of what to look out for and what may jump out at you on first listen. At the end of the day, every track on here is quality and I fully love it.

The band give the impression from sleeve notes and website content that they really do have fun whist playing both live and recorded, and that blatantly evident enthusiasm runs throughout this recording. I would urge all folk/acoustic/country/bluegrass/music fans to buy it. There is something for everyone within this for people that just want to be entertained for 45 minutes, and I hope that anybody else who gets to hear this will agree with me. 

Phil Daniels

The wise words of Matt White, a friend, percussionist and singer: -

Recipe for success: Gently mix a tasty variety of all the best back garden folk apples and drizzle lovingly with Mulley for home-spun sweetness. Coax it together with the gentle yet firm pastry crust & base of Hammond. Top with creamy, poetic humour churned freshly for every serving by Kirk & Partridge. Sit back and savour the 100% organic apple pie that is routinely delivered warmly from the SftBH oven.

Johnny Appleseed would hum these tunes while walking the well travelled back roads of folk country.

Leave the windows open so the smell of fresh rain on the grass dances in through the pine-wood chimes. Get ready for a featherbed of storytelling.

I can remember autumnal days when my mom used to have the radio permanently tuned into classic folk, just to try and stretch the warmth of summer into the harvest. I would gladly let these guys go back and touch that sacred dial and tune us to WSFTBH any time.

And from Stephen Constable: -

"Songs from the Blue House is like the 'leftovers pie' that you make at the end of the week. Using whatever's left in the fridge, which on their own aren't up to much, you end up with the best meal of the week."

From The Herts & Essex Observer 14/10/04

L to R: Steven Mears, James, Tony Shevlin...Shane and Gibbon were there, honest!

From The East Anglian Daily Times Magazine 30/08/03

From Stephen Foster (BBC Radio Suffolk)

SONGS FROM THE BLUE HOUSE is a project put together by three musicians who need little or no introduction to those who follow the local music scene closely.

For more years than I care to remember James Partridge and Shane Kirk have been writing and performing their own songs although in James's case he did take a little break. Mr. Partridge is back in business now and along with Shane and bassist Gibbon has been busy in his blue house working on a dozen little ditties which have now made it on to CD.

Augmented by guest musicians Tony Winn, Richard Lockwood, Helen Mulley and Olly "Spoons" Graham, this album could best be described as folk, country and bluegrass with a slightly eccentric twist. 

Both James and Shane have always had a good line in lyrics and they don't disappoint on this self-titled set.

Quirky but totally accessible, Songs From the Blue House is a labour of love by those who don't take themselves too seriously.

Lovers of covers need not apply. This CD was launched under lanterns in the garden of an Ipswich pub. Not just any old Ipswich pub, but the award winning Fat Cat in Spring Road. James, Shane and Gibbon won't be getting fat on the proceeds of their debut album but sales will finance a few jugs of their favourite real ale as they contemplate the follow up.

Don't leave it so long next time chaps!