Album review: LADY MAISERY AND JIMMY ALDRIDGE & SID GOLDSMITH – Wakefire

Bandcamp [Release date 01.05.26]

After several years delighting audiences with their wintertime project Awake Arise, the folk supergroup of Lady Maisery (Hannah James, Rowan Rheingans & Hazel Askew) and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith, have joined forces again to celebrate the summer.

Do make sure you invest in the CD as it is a special double length album-book, wonderfully illustrated throughout and with lyrics and prose, plus the all-important stories behind the songs. With twenty seven tracks in total the listener really does get their money’s worth and more!

The album flows through the summer, starting with ‘Summer’s In’ and ‘The Cuckoo’, going right through to harvest time in September. A folk concept album without any prog rock noodling nonsense!

Being released on May 1, May Day, little wonder there are a few protest songs on the album including ‘May Day’, asking the all important question in its chorus – which side are you on? The song features spoken word, as do many of the songs, and it adds to overall strength of the album.

Highlights include ‘May Morning Dew’, ‘River Came Back’, their version of Bela Fleck’s ‘What’cha Gonna Do?’ and ‘Harvest Festival’, which is built around a spoken word passage from Laurie Lee’s ‘Village Christmas and Other Notes on the English Year’.

An album to be listened to in one go, although the single (an Ivor Cutler song) ‘I’m Going to a Field’ does lend itself to being ‘stand-a-alone’ and perfect for airplay & playlists.

Lady Maisey and Jimmy Aldridge & Sid Goldsmith have created another seasonal delight, full of thoughtful lyrics, impassioned playing and tunes that are both melodious and memorable. ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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