The Spur

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Joan Shelley digs a little deeper into the work of the great folk artists with every album she releases. Sandy Denny, Vashti Bunyan, Joan Baez, Linda Thompson, Nick Drake and (especially) Gillian Welch: the Louisville native knows them all by heart. However, she does anything but revive their sound through mere replicas. The Spur is a work of genius that’s both removed from modernity yet viscerally anchored in the everyday. Far from the humdrum and pollution of the city, Shelley, a young mother, embraces earth and nature. Each track is stunning, whether it’s a tale of love (true or unrequited), isolation, or just existence in general. Joan Shelly draws upon all these topics, which have inspired the world’s folk musicians since the dawn of time, creating a beautiful sonic sculpture which she then paints with stunning colours (and often embellishes with gold leaf thanks to incredible instrumentation: piano, double bass, cello, dobro, mandolin, brass). It’s crazy to think that such classicism and conventional material should give rise to such a radiant, intense record… The charismatic Bill ‘Smog’ Callahan sings alongside her on Amberlit Morning. Meg Baird also features on Forever Blues and Between Rock & Sky. But the main guests to feature on this elegant release are silence, space and unspoken words. Joan Shelly breathes her style into these little bubbles of freedom. Make no mistake, although her inspirations can be heard throughout this album, her style is all her own. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz