Differing subsets of folk music history, both sound relevant and vital

May 29, 2018 3:07 PM

Sarah Louise Henson was half responsible for one of 2017’s most dazzling albums, the self-titled debut by House And Land. A duo of Henson and Sally Anne Morgan, who also plays in wyrd-bluegrass exponents the Black Twig Pickers, House And Land’s spin on old-timey American folk music – illuminating its parallels to the drones of 1960s minimalism, or Indian classical modes – was a quiet, brilliant jewel. I’d avoid opening a review of an album by talking at such length about a different one, but for the feeling that House And Land was so criminally unsung. [...] So, like a lot of great leftfield folk music of multiple eras, Deeper Woods demonstrates tangible respect for tradition without being hidebound by it.

Pullquote above the break, and the title, are from Noel Gardner for The Quietus, with the addition of Bandcamp pages for both of the referenced albums.

If you want more background on these albums, the Bandcamp pages include some great information, excerpted here for a sample:

House And Land

House and Land features many drone elements, which is a direct homage to the presence of drone in Appalachian music. Equally important is their knowledge of the use of drone in contemporary classical music, which itself has often taken inspiration from nature-based drone styles from around the world. This connection between nature and minimalism is not uncommon and can be seen in artists like Agnes Martin and composers such as Éliane Radigue and John Luther Adams. Repetition is linked to music across the spectrum that evokes trance and other spiritual states.

A historical review of ballads tells a history of patriarchy. These songs have been arranged for and by two women with an extensive knowledge of the form and filtered through their own feminist perspectives. In some cases, like in “Rich Old Jade,” their singing bears witness to the hardships women have endured. In other cases, they have changed lyrics to honor women through imagined histories. In “Johnny,” for example, “My father offers house and land” becomes “My mother offers house and land.”

Deeper Woods

Louise, an avid naturalist and forager, draws from the guidance that the natural world provides. Whereas portrayals of women in nature are often demeaning and powerless, a folk waif, Louise uses songs such as “Pipevine Swallowtails” to reframe them more powerfully. By reframing traditional music styles and lyricism with a feminist stance, Deeper Woods blends the spiritual with the cerebral. Sarah Louise is actively blending natural themes with explorations of complex emotions. The Appalachian valley is the setting for her stories of independence, solitude, and awe. “Bowman’s Root” and “Fire Pink And Milkweed” take their names from plants that grow on the edges of meadows, reflecting the album’s central theme of liminality. These liminal spaces and complicated emotions are made ever clearer by Louise’s nuanced performances and arrangements, with subtle melodic flares and delicate, sometimes dramatic, shifts in atmosphere.

The compositions of Deeper Woods are Louise’s most ambitious to date. Initially taking shape as a capella pieces, she began superimposing her vocal melodies over solo guitar pieces, meticulously reforming phrases until they fit. Although the album features moments of densely layered harmony, Louise kept guests on the album limited to only few close friends, instead opting to teach herself how to play instruments such as recorder and piano. “The Field That Touches My House and Yours” eschews the use of guitar entirely, replacing Louise’s signature intricate picking patterns with warm keyboards and synthesizers. The hazy waves of distortion on “When Winter Turns” is propelled by drummer and frequent collaborator Thom Ngyuen accompanied by the nimble bass of Jason Meagher (Black Dirt Studios).

Sarah Louise has two more albums on her Bandcamp account: VDSQ Acoustic Series Volume 12 and Field Guide.

posted by filthy light thief (8 comments total)

You had me at 'drone', this is lovely stuff.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 5:00 PM on May 29, 2018

House and Land reminds me of some of Karen Dalton's stuff, in a good way.
posted by hydrophonic at 8:23 PM on May 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

This is wonderful stuff. So glad I listened. The microtonality is spine tingling.
posted by charlesminus at 8:39 PM on May 29, 2018

This is lovely, thanks. Six strings good, twelve strings... more gooder!
posted by El Brendano at 2:20 AM on May 30, 2018

I like it. Is "wyrd-bluegrass" a thing?

(By the way, though, why did I just have to add a bandcamp volume control plugin to my browser?)
posted by pracowity at 5:58 AM on May 30, 2018

She's good. I've watched her keep an entire room entranced for a solid two hours.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:40 AM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

→ Six strings good, twelve strings... more gooder!

Five strings best of all. I'm mince at working out picking patterns, but it sounds like she's mostly doing a two-finger up-picking style. When I was more of a clawhammer banjo player, I remember so many hammer-on slides to unison and the hunt for the sought-after “cluck” transient overtone. The drone is strong.
posted by scruss at 7:14 AM on May 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

fans of this sort of thing might also enjoy Anna & Elizabeth, a duo of two young women who grew up in the folk tradition and have taken it to some interesting places. Examples:
Little Black Train
Jeano and Jeanette
When the World's on Fire
Father Neptune (a Connie Converse tune)
and finally, their NPR tiny desk concert featuring their "Crankies", a sort of old-time animation.
posted by gorbichov at 6:47 AM on May 31, 2018 [1 favorite]