Release date: January 2020
Label: Matty Grooves
Production: John Gale and Fairport Convention
Length: 52:38
Genre: British folk rock
Rating: 9/10
Fairport Convention, the indestructible pioneers of British folk rock, are back with their twenty-ninth studio album, titled “Shuffle and Go”. The legendary band, fast approaching the fifty-fifth anniversary of its formation, has been through a lot over the years. Despite the upbeat nature of the lion’s share of their music and lyrics, tragedy dogged them from the early days in the second half of the sixties, and they survived the turbulent seventies with a constant revolving door of lineup changes. Between 1979 and 1985, a stretch that was downright hostile to folk rock, they even stopped operating altogether.
Today Fairport Convention are more stable than ever, having kept the same lineup for twenty-two years now, with guitarist/lead vocalist Simon Nicol, the only original member still standing, and bassist Dave Pegg, the one with the longest uninterrupted tenure, in command (he’s been in the band without a break for fifty years). Their partners in crime, drummer Gerry Conway and the two string virtuosos, Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie, who are multi-instrumentalists when needed, have long since become veterans of this folk rock institution.
“Shuffle and Go” can be called a thoroughly characteristic achievement of the modern incarnation of Fairport Convention, meaning it’s a very good and consistent record that is sure to please all the longtime devotees. The band made a very wise, even far-sighted decision to release “Shuffle and Go”, originally available digitally on their website, at the start of the “apocalyptic” year 2020 and to actively promote it on their winter tour, that is, before the coronavirus took hold of Europe in March and the pandemic was declared, hitting the vast majority of musicians hard.
Most of the album consists of original compositions penned by Sanders and Leslie. Ever since Leslie joined in the second half of the nineties, those two have played a key role in the songwriting revival of this cult band. Some of the songs were written with help from outside collaborators, such as Pegg’s old friend PJ Wright, while “Jolly Springtime”, the least interesting moment on “Shuffle and Go”, was originally written by American musician James Taylor. As has been the case for the past thirty years, most of the vocal duties fell to Nicol, though Leslie and Pegg chip in on some of the tracks.
“Don’t Revel My Name” is a nostalgic ballad with heart-tugging string arrangements and an authentic Celtic atmosphere, radiating above all the ever-excellent vocal, string and songwriting talent of Leslie. “Cider Rain” is a pleasant, acoustic-leaning ballad with Nicol’s infectiously friendly singing and enviable backing harmonies.
The medley of two linked tracks titled “Good Time For a Fiddle and Bow/The Christmas Eve Reel”, with its cheerful vocal harmonies and charming string arrangements, is the perfect soundtrack for Christmas Eve evenings by a crackling fireplace, the kind of thing Fairport Convention have produced in enviable quantities throughout their career. “A Thousand Bars” is a melancholy yet nostalgic ballad with inconsolable violins and mandolins; it brings no innovations, but it’s still another very solid and thoroughly characteristic creation.
The title track, with its lively nature and almost danceable rhythms, perks up the mood of the album again. “Moses Waits” is a classic, melancholy ballad with dulcimer sounds that would make a stone weep if it had a heart, though there’s still a streak of positivity running through its message and atmosphere. “Steampunkery” is a mischievous instrumental where Sanders’ violin wizardry takes the lead. “Linseed Memories” features nostalgic-sounding acoustic guitar and mandolin arrangements and a melancholy vocal performance.
The romantically tinged “The Year of Fifty Nine” is Leslie’s vocal and lyrical confession about his early childhood, and it fits the album cover nicely. “The Byfield Steeplechase”, written for Fairport Convention by Pegg’s pal PJ Wright, is a playful little number packed with traditional folk rock tunes and a humorous lyric. “Moon Dust and Solitude”, which also documents the first Moon landing with a short archive audio clip, is another acoustic-leaning ballad with a markedly positive message and romantic harmonies. The baroque instrumental “Precious Time”, with its rustically spiced string arrangements, closes the album on a distinctly melancholy note.
“Shuffle and Go” is yet another vivid proof that Fairport Convention age like fine wine: the older they get, the better they sound, especially when it comes to songwriting maturity and consistency. The album brings nothing new, but its consistency will delight all the longtime fans and lovers of the noblest form of folk rock. The cult folk rockers keep proving that their newer records are on the same level as their classic albums from the golden age of British folk rock. The string duo of Leslie and Sanders have been the driving creative force of this collective for more than twenty years, while the two old cats, Nicol and Pegg, make sure Fairport Convention are more active than ever in the twenty-first century, and that their greatness, their legend, grows year after year.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Don’t Reveal My Name (3:59)
2. Cider Rain (3:43)
3. Good Time for a Fiddle and Bow / The Christmas Eve Reel (4:20)
4. A Thousand Bars (5:29)
5. Shuffle and Go (3:14)
6. Moses Waits (4:20)
7. Steampunkery (3:42)
8. Linseed Memories (3:30)
9. The Year of Fifty Nine (3:24)
10. The Byfield Steeplechase (3:51)
11. Moondust and Solitude (5:30)
12. Jolly Springtime (2:00)
13. Precious Time (5:29)
Fairport Convention:
Simon Nicol – vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Dave Pegg – vocals, bass guitar, ukulele, bass ukulele, mandolin
Chris Leslie – vocals, mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar, harmonica, bouzouki, whistle, kalimba, Celtic harp, ukulele
Ric Sanders – violin, keyboards, ukulele, bass ukulele
Gerry Conway – drums, percussion
