Seth Lakeman - Poor Man's Heaven

A review for The Music Magazine of Set Lakeman's new album. More consistent than Freedom Fields but just as predictable and safe. This time with added maritime disasters and redness.

Here is the review:

There are two words destined to strike fear into any hardened music fan: contemporary folk. To many devotees, the sacred art of folk music is not to be messed with. Eliza Carthy tried it on her magnificent Red/Rice to mixed reviews and Kate Rusby deftly weaves modern life with tales of Old England. But that is about it. It is a desperate cliché but folk is never at the top of people's favourite genres because of out-dated stereotypes and poor image. Seth Lakeman is a musician who has both the respect of a musical heritage and the courage to bring it into the modern age. Like previous album 'Freedom Fields', 'Poor Man's Heaven' is full of earnest song writing but very few surprises.

The album opens with the stirring drum stomp of 'The Hurlers', which sounds so seeped in Cornish tradition that, like the stone circle myth the song represents, it could be centuries old. Lakeman's voice is not old fashioned but the way he sings is. When the violins come in at the chorus, we are suddenly reminded of where we are. 'Feather In A Storm' has a very different feel, tinged with dark Southern-rock guitars. This will not please the purists. There is a running theme of maritime disasters and these feature heavily in many songs on the album.

'Crimson Dawn' is back to more traditional storytelling. "That fateful night I woke to hear the sound. Like a gunshot; both windows shaking loud" is a great attention grabbing first verse (and last). Compared to the precision of the first few songs, the instrumentation on 'Blood Red Sky' (more redness) feels messy and clumsy. The distant vocal crooning sounds over-produced and misplaced. The maritime stories continue with 'Solomon Browne', Lakeman's retelling of the Penlee lifeboat tragedy when men died trying to save the Union Star, a cargo ship stuck in heavy seas. It is sad that such a meaningful well-intentioned song is one of the shortest on the album. It deserves much more - something similar to the epic 'Nautical Disaster' by 'The Tragically Hip'. But the simple arrangement and Lakeman's commanding vocals create a wonderful tribute.

The redness is revisited with 'Cherry Red Girl', a strange tale soaked in metaphor: "Pick a fruit from her fine wardrobe. In oriental pearl and the whole double row" is one of many spurious lines. The chorus glides along with simple repetition. 'I'll Haunt You' is incredibly bland and ordinary - it sounds like a goth-metal band doing part of an acoustic session. Conversely 'Race To Be King' is the truest sounding song on the album, all frantic gypsy violins and vocals. Again, the sea is the subject, this time about the lure and futility of whale hunting. Lakeman's talented band (including his brother Sean) add some excellent backing vocals. The song ends with a cliff-hanger: "There fired a shot along our deck and down one side. It cracked our mast and swept in fast. Our bird she cried".

The title track is a curious beast, another fusion of styles and sounds. The arrangement feels a bit too much like a nursery rhyme but it just about holds together. A great violin / vocal ending adds some much needed class but it should be a few minutes of self-indulgence longer. 'Greed And Gold is the nearest a song gets to a ballad. It stands out as far too slow even when the chorus attempts to add some pace. But 'Sound Of A Drum' closes things in style. It is another slow piece yet it works thanks to dramatic guitars and vocals and another well placed, if short, guitar break.

'Poor Man's Heaven' sticks to what Seth Lakeman knows best, somewhere between folk and modern pop. Much of the musical drama comes from a sharp blast of violin which is effective most of the time but quickly becomes an overused trick. His voice, however, is a constant instrument of strength and wonder - emotion without theatre and passion without fervour. The music works better when it is a subdued backing track, adding depth and character rather than sudden cries for attention. The album never strays from the winning formula. It also never takes risks. Purists and fans will be satisfied for now at least.

-- CS (for The Music Magazine 2008)