Proud Devonian Jim Causley’s third solo album focuses on and celebrates the songs of his home region, and covers a range of traditional and more modern songs; but wherever the songs come from, he avoids the more commonly known Devon songs and chooses less well-known material.
The album’s title comes from the name given to the wider region by the Celts in the period that overlaps with the Roman invasion, and while the songs and tunes don’t reach that far back, they do represent elements of the social and cultural history of the region over the past 400 years or so.
He’s brought together a great range of musicians to support the project (some but not all of them are Devonians), including Bellowhead’s Pete Flood, Jackie Oates, Nick Wyke and Becki Driscoll and members of the Dartmoor Pixie Band.
His honest, natural and unaffected vocals are the highlight of the album, and the personality that comes across in his live shows is present here, and there’s a little mischief in leaving out a couple of the most famous and obvious Devon songs. It’s a better album for avoiding the obvious though, and much of the material here will be new to many.
Extensive and thoughtful sleevenotes round off an excellent, eccentrically English album.
Track listing
1 When I Was Young
2 Little Ball o' Yarn
3 Georgie
4 Old Uncle Whiteway
5 The Old Threshing Mill
6 Sidbury to Stockland Set
7 The Earl of Totnes
8 Royal Comrade
9 Exeter Town
10 She Moved Through the Fair/Germany Clockmaker
11 Tamar Valley Requiem
12 Exmoor Anthem
13 Honiton Lace
14 The Game of Cards
15 In the Sidings
16 Larkbeare
17 The Tythe Pig
18 Wailey Wailer
review 07 March 2011
