Sea music. songs and tunes from the days of the tall ships performed with modern, high energy arrangements; traditional sea shanties to contemporary songs.

11 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Traditional Folk, FOLK: Power-folk



Details:
"...stands all your preconceptions of nautical song on its head. A surprising folk-rock record of the first calibre."

Rootsworld
Lee Blackstone's Best of 1997



âThere werenât a whole lot of fragile hurdy-gurdies aboard old sailing ships, nor were there electric guitars and drum kits, for that matter. But thatâs no reason not to crank up Anglo-American sea music and have some fun, as the Seattle-based vocal/instrumental duo of William Pint and Felicia Dale do here on their fourth album. Their arrangements are modern, harmonious and sometimes rocking, but always true to the saltwater spirit of this collection of mostly-traditional sea shanties and nautical ballads.

Pint, who handles most of the vocal leads, isnât a classic shanty singer -- his voice is more earnest than resonant. He has a sense for the power and feeling of the songs, though, whether they tell of a sailorâs longing for home, as in their slow arrangement of âCome Down to Hilo,â or of the exuberant celebration of the successful rounding of Cape Horn in âRound the Corner, Sally.â


The most striking thing about the diverse, multi-instrumental arrangements is Daleâs hurdy-gurdy, which adds an ominous buzz to the broken-token ballad âJohn Riley,â a plaintive wail to the story of âThe Sailboat Malarky,â and a jubilant scream to the very electric title track. âSugar in the Hold,â a New Orleans cargo-loading song, gets a Bourbon Street boogie shuffle, while the Channel Islands song âMargueriteâ (sung in French by Dale) gets grafted onto an Irish jig. There are some quiet tracks, too. A setting of Rudyard Kiplingâs seal legend âThe Beaches of Leukannonâ is a close-harmony duet, while the shanty âHaul on the Bowlineâ is sung as a straight unaccompanied chorus piece.â

-Tom Nelligan

Dirty Linen, USA



âA modern approach to sea songs is taken by William Pint and Felicia Dale. This is the third release from the Seattle-based duo, and represents a flight of fancy from their past recordings as they experiment with Celtic-rock rhythms and delivery in this collection of nine traditional and two recently composed songs. I have to say, these arrangements, for the most part, are not my cup of tea, but the musicianship is stellar and the singing is engaging almost all the way through. Dale delivers some exceptional work on hurdy-gurdy, its âmaniacalâ droning making a perfect bass line for some of these songs. Her playing in the 7/8 âRuchenitsaâ is particularly extraordinary.

Pint is clearly enjoying himself when he lends an electric guitar to âRound the Corner Sally,â or belts out âSugar in the Hold.â Bob Zentzâs lovely setting of Kiplingâs âBeaches of Leukannonâ is also included.

Pint and Dale have clearly done their homework in finding and researching these songs, and the result is a characteristically modern collection, but one that gives a nod to the work done by collectors like (Paul) Clayton.â

-Mary DesRosiers

Sing Out!, USA