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It could have been commercial suicide. In the wake of a breakthrough success, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset have not only changed the band's name to the more encompassing and curate the Unthanks, they've also made huge personnel changes. It's certainly not a strategy a marketing man would recommend, but this is a band that's always been about the art, not the commercial success. The basis remains folk music from the Northeast of England, and the fuller sound of a nine-piece band changes the backing and fills it out splendidly, with bass and drums giving a firm foundation. The focus on the singing of sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank is, if anything, firmer than before, and nowhere is that clearer than on the harrowing "The Testimony of Patience Kershaw," about child labor in the Victorian mines, or the heartbreaking beauty of the traditional "Annachie Gordon." However, although there's plenty of gloom and doom on this disc, it's leavened by some lighter spots, such as "Betsy Belle." For the most part, it works, the only real failure coming with a cover of Lal Waterson's "At First She Starts," a piece so personal that outsiders trying to find a way into it are largely doomed -- but it's a brave attempt, and says a lot about the scope and confidence of the group. Musically, there's much greater richness and variety in the arrangements now, heightening the shadings that have always been there, and bringing them to the fore, while also making it easier for a wider audience.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
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Chris Price, Arranger - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Julian Sutton, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Sinclair, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Tarrant, AssociatedPerformer - Graham Hardy, AssociatedPerformer - Graeme Miles, ComposerLyricist - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Sweet Folk-All, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Iona Brown, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Tarrant, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hibbard, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Graham Hardy, AssociatedPerformer - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, ComposerLyricist - Iona Brown, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian McNally, Producer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Becky Unthank, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Niopha Keegan, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Higgins, ComposerLyricist - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - English Folk Dance & Song Society, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Anne Briggs, ComposerLyricist - Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Iona Brown, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Logo Songs Ltd, MusicPublisher - Heathside Music Ltd, MusicPublisher - Neil Harland, AssociatedPerformer - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Sinclair, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Graham Hardy, AssociatedPerformer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger - Ewan MacColl, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Simon Tarrant, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hibbard, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Dan Rogers, AssociatedPerformer - Jenny Chang, AssociatedPerformer - Graham Hardy, AssociatedPerformer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Ewan McColl Ltd, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - ANON., ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Jenny Chang, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Silverston, AssociatedPerformer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger - Niopha Keegan, Arranger - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Lal Waterson, ComposerLyricist - Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Iona Brown, AssociatedPerformer - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Andre Swanepoel, AssociatedPerformer - Topic Records ltd, MusicPublisher - Oliver Knight, ComposerLyricist - Rosie Biss, AssociatedPerformer - Mike Gerrard, AssociatedPerformer - Dan Rogers, AssociatedPerformer - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Niopha Keegan, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher - Neil Harland, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Hibbard, AssociatedPerformer - Jane Pollinger, AssociatedPerformer - Shelley Thomson, AssociatedPerformer - Jo Silverston, AssociatedPerformer - Lipservices, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Chris Price, Arranger - Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Adrian McNally, Producer, Arranger, MixingEngineer - Rachel Unthank, Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Becky Unthank, Arranger - Niopha Keegan, Arranger - The Unthanks, MainArtist, MusicPublisher
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
Album review
It could have been commercial suicide. In the wake of a breakthrough success, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset have not only changed the band's name to the more encompassing and curate the Unthanks, they've also made huge personnel changes. It's certainly not a strategy a marketing man would recommend, but this is a band that's always been about the art, not the commercial success. The basis remains folk music from the Northeast of England, and the fuller sound of a nine-piece band changes the backing and fills it out splendidly, with bass and drums giving a firm foundation. The focus on the singing of sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank is, if anything, firmer than before, and nowhere is that clearer than on the harrowing "The Testimony of Patience Kershaw," about child labor in the Victorian mines, or the heartbreaking beauty of the traditional "Annachie Gordon." However, although there's plenty of gloom and doom on this disc, it's leavened by some lighter spots, such as "Betsy Belle." For the most part, it works, the only real failure coming with a cover of Lal Waterson's "At First She Starts," a piece so personal that outsiders trying to find a way into it are largely doomed -- but it's a brave attempt, and says a lot about the scope and confidence of the group. Musically, there's much greater richness and variety in the arrangements now, heightening the shadings that have always been there, and bringing them to the fore, while also making it easier for a wider audience.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:54:17
- Main artists: The Unthanks
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Rough Trade
- Genre: Folk/Americana
2009 EMI Records under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd 2009 Rabble Rouser Music under exclusive license to Rough Trade Records Ltd
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