Georgia Ruth - Week of Pines

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 26 / 5 / 2013

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One word keeps creeping into mind when listening to ‘Week of Pines’, the debut album from Welsh songstress Georgia Ruth, and that word is beautiful. There really is no better way of describing Ruth’s fresh take on what is basically folk music. There are eight original songs and three covers, one of which is the traditional ‘Old Blue’, which, although having being recorded many times previously, sounds incredibly fresh here. Ruth certainly adds more to the song than the Byrds did on their ‘Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde’ album. While Ruth’s original songs are every bit the equal of this hundred-year-old song, it does display all that is appealing about the music this young, talented musician makes. Ruth creates an atmosphere with not only the unusual array of instruments used on ‘Week of Pines’ but with her ethereal vocals, which really do make her interpretation of folk music unique. Even on Welsh language songs like ‘Etrai’, not understanding what Ruth is singing about doesn’t detract from the beauty displayed; the choice of instruments, the sympathetic production by David Wrench and those beguiling vocals make each song magical. Hearing Georgia Ruth brings back memories of hearing Kate Bush, Charlotte Greig and Vashti Bunyan for the first time. There is that feeling that here is something different, that we’ve stumbled upon a musician with a unique vision. While Ruth’s music is based in the folk genre, she really does expand and push the barriers of that music. Not only is Ruth’s main chosen instrument, the harp, quite unusual in contemporary folk music, her style of playing the instrument is a major factor in the sound captured on ‘Week of Pines’. But it’s not only Ruth who shines on these songs. ‘A Slow Parade’, which features a stunning vocal performance from Ruth, is just one song brought to life by the musicians backing her, especially Iwan and Aled Hughes from acclaimed country/folk band Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog, who add such texture and colour with their various guitars and keyboards that it impossible to link the song to any genre. It is in a class of its own and - here comes that word again - a beautiful piece of music. That Ruth has taken folk music to a new and different place is undeniable. The locomotive beat that underlies the title song that opens the album immediately sets Ruth and her chosen musicians apart from the crowd. While folk elements are there, the captivating melody, the lightness in her vocals and the distinctive sound of Ruth’s harp show that Ruth is taking a very different approach to this type of music than any other musician. More importantly, it works so well and is going to introduce a lot of new ears to a music that bears a label they would normally not give time to. ‘Codi Angor’, another traditional song, this time obviously a Welsh-language one, is just one of the songs that conjures up really strong images, proving again that not understanding a single word doesn’t detract from the feeling the song evokes. Visions of gentle waves lapping the shore are painted by the sound of a reed organ, and, with at a guess Iwan Hughes providing equally haunting backing vocals, the song is particularly affecting. Even when Ruth follows a more traditional folk sound as on the self-penned ‘Mapping’, the results can be both chilling and exciting. The sparse musical backing only adds to the eeriness created on this song. While many folk songs feature disturbing lyrics, few can match the overall sense of all not being well that Ruth produces here. ‘Dovecote’, which is not the only song on ‘Week of Pines’ that features an unnerving drone, again displays uneasiness both lyrically, and through it is sparse musical backing it’s another beautifully unsettling piece of music. Georgia Ruth is a unique artist. Of that there is no doubt, and she has already come to the notice of other musicians. She can be heard on the Guillemots' forthcoming album, regularly performs in ex-Gorky Zygotic Monkeys member Richard James’ band, and is also involved in his new project, Pen Pastwn. On ‘Week of Pines’ Ruth has produced a haunting collection of songs that her indie-folk tag really doesn’t do justice to. The songs cover a wide range of sounds and styles, and she really is creating music that is uniquely of herself. Lose yourself in Georgia Ruth’s beautifully twisted world for the hour or so it takes to listen to ‘Week of Pines’; you won’t want to leave.

Track Listing:-

1 Week of Pines
2 Codi Angor
3 Mapping
4 Hallt
5 Dovecote
6 Seeing You Around
7 Old Blue
8 Etrai
9 In Luna
10 A Slow Parade
11 Winter

Band Links:-

http://www.georgiaruthmusic.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/georgiaruth
http://www.georgiaruthmusic.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Georgia-Ruth-Williams-29792444585/

Label Links:-

https://twitter.com/gwymon
http://www.gwymon.net/

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