Full Review

Steve Tilston – Of Many Hands

Steve Tilston is an artist who I’ve long admired; an exceptional guitarist and a strong songwriter whose albums compare favourably against many of the more well known American folk/singer-songwriter discs we carry.

This new album marks something of a departure from his usual fare as it’s almost all traditional material, but it’s fresh, exciting and one of the most accessible folk albums of the past few years.

The track listing reveals diversity in his choice of material, from well known pieces such as ‘The Streams of Lovely Nancy’ and ‘New York Gals’ through to more obscure songs from the tradition.

The musicians assisting Steve are some of the best musicians on the folk circuit including Martin Simpson, Nancy Kerr, James Fagan, Chris Parkinson and Maggie Boyle, but the most striking aspect of the disc is Steve’s stunning guitar work, it’s detailed and dynamic and adds feeling to the excellent collection of songs.

Possibly the strongest song here is ‘The Leaving of Liverpool’, a song that many (myself included) will only have heard from versions recorded in the 60s – Tilston’s reading is full of loss, longing and sadness, and is a million miles away from the versions I’d previously heard. He also features the well known Barbry Allen, a wonderful and fairly vicious song with beautiful guitar accompaniment.

‘Of Many Hands’ is a stunning folk album – the excellent vocals and sublime guitar work make it easily accessible for those dipping their toes in the folk water, but the songs are deep enough and recorded in distinct versions to satisfy the folk cognoscenti; the superb liner notes round off a superb collection. Highly recommended.