Timber & Stream
Tullamore
Independent
2000
12 tracks
Tullamore's debut release features the group in its original configuration as a traditional folk music trio. (Since the release of Timber & Stream, Tullamore has added a fourth member and replaced one of the originals.) Performing on this release are Mark Clavey, Sonya Baughman, and Mary Hanover. The sound is Irish, traditional but with arrangements that give at least some songs a distinct American flavour.
Seven of the twelve songs in this set are traditional Irish material adapted by Mark Clavey. The other five are written in the tradional style by Bobby Sands, Pecker Dunne, Richard Thompson with David Swarbrick, Barney Rush, and Bruce and Mark Clavey, who wrote the title song as a tribute to their father, Westley Clavey.
Bruce Clavey's lyric for "Timber & Stream" is a well-written metaphor of a country mill and a man's lifetime. Written originally as a poem, this piece stands up well as literature. Mark Clavey's simple traditional melody serves the words well, giving support to the story without intruding on its telling. Mary Hanover's vocal is a sensitive interpretation that gives the story a simple humanity.
Written by Bobby Sands, an Irish political prisoner famous for the 65 day hunger strike which led to his death in 1981, "Back Home in Derry" is clearly drawn upon an older traditional melody, probably from Derry. The sound is unmistakably similar to Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," also based upon traditional material. The lyric for "Back Home in Derry" is a powerful tale of the transportation of five dozen Irish rebels to exile in Australia. Mark Clavey gives a moving interpretation of this story.
"Factory Girl" is a sad tale of love longed for and unrequited, delivered with mournful certainty by Mary Hanover. The imagery is rustic and very Wordsworthian, giving a certain charm to the whole piece.
A special treat on this release is Mary Hanover's delightful work on the hammered dulcimer. This is especially apparent on the two and one half minute instrumental introduction to "Lowlands of Holland." Sonya Baughman provides an emotional and even dramatic interpretation of a young girl's love for and loss of her sailor husband.
"Thousands are Sailing" is one of those mournful emigration songs about leaving Ireland never to return, and of the sorrow felt by those leaving and those left behind. Even so, while the introductory theme is slow and moving, the song itself is bright and spritely, providing an interesting contrast to the sad tale told in the lyric.
Each of the dozen songs on Timber & Stream makes interesting listening in its own right. This band has a tendency to have very long introductions, so there's almost as much instrumental music here as vocal, giving a welcome respite from the often sad lyrics.
A bonus is that the insert includes not just lyrics but a brief historical background on each of the songs, adding a further dimension to the performance.Those who enjoy traditional Irish folk music, especially with a political bent, may want to add Timber & Stream to their music shelves.
For more information on Tullamore, visit the Tullamore website. To hear some clips from Timber & Stream, go to this page.
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Review written: February 23, 2005
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