The magnificent new standalone single from Pippa Blundell is a one-off in many ways. It sees her joined for the first time by Mercury Prize nominated jazz pianist, Fergus McCreadie, for a reimagining of a traditional Scots song composed by Lady Jane Scott in the 1800s. Their contemporary reworking sends the song in directions the composer could surely not have imagined with the use of drone textures and post-rock guitar. A trip to YouTube show that its most popular versions of the song are performed by sopranos, baritones and tenors but Blundell has an entirely fresh take while being able to display her voice’s full emotional range. McCreadie’s playing is utterly sensational, moving from a sensitively understated beginning to an increasingly expansive and dramatic direction. As a whole it is haunting and so atmospheric that it is easy to imagine the mists rising off the fields. It makes for such a successful collaboration that I hope the opportunity will arise for Blundell and McCreadie to work together again.
Pippa Blundell (featuring Fergus McCreadie): Durisdeer – Out 6 November
I was editor of the long-running fanzine, Plane Truth, and have subsequently written for a number of publications. While the zine was known for championing the most angular independent sounds, performing in recent years with a community samba percussion band helped to broaden my tastes so that in 2021 I am far more likely to be celebrating an eclectic mix of sounds and enthusing about Made Kuti, Anthony Joseph, Little Simz and the Soul Jazz Cuban compilations as well as Pom Poko and Richard Dawson.
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