BETH MALCOLM – Folkmosis (own label BAM104)

FolkmosisFifty years ago we might have called Folkmosis a concept album. What it actually is is an autobiography in three acts told in music and the spoken word. Beth Malcolm was voted Scots Singer Of The Year in 2022 but her life might not have turned out that way. She was brought up on traditional folk music, rebelled as a teenager and returned to the true path after her wild years. As an autobiography it’s sometimes disarmingly frank but always interesting and very, very listenable.

The first act describes Beth’s formative years. It begins with ‘Osmosis’, a medley of three songs learned via the folk process. In the middle is a chorus of ‘Ally Bally Bee’, otherwise known as ‘Coulter’s Candy’. Now accepted as a folk song and lullaby, it was supposedly written as an advertising jingle but, given that this was before the advent of radio, recording technology or, believe it or not, the internet, one wonders how it was disseminated.

Linking the songs are spoken tracks, the first being ‘Hallowe’en’, a story Beth remembers hearing as a child. Next is the first single, ‘Young Edward’, and another story, ‘Aberdeen Angus Bairn’ about Beth’s childhood experiences. ‘(Meet Me By The) Goretree’, lyrics by Beth, adapted from a poem by Violet Jacobs, to a tune by Tommy Peoples is a perfect example of the way a song can come into being. From here, Beth begins her introduction to the rejection years and her move to Glasgow.

Beth employs a fine band of musicians including fellow young award winner Eryn Rae, accordion player Andrew Waite, guitarist Dorian Cloudesley, clarsach player Laura Penman and a string quartet. There is great subtlety about the arrangements.

Act 2 talks of the years of teenage angst with songs in a more contemporary style such as ‘Growing’, ‘A Man Who Loves The Worst Of Me’ and the lovely ‘Rolling Stone’. The traditional roots are still there, emerging first in ‘Bonny Glenshee’, heard in a chance encounter at a folk music bar in Edinburgh. During this time, Beth visited Orkney Folk Festival with her father who sang ‘The Workers’ Song’ on the journey which drew her back to the folk tradition. The experiences of the rebel years didn’t leave her either and later she was to perform with Niteworks and LUSA.

Now we’ve moved almost imperceptibly into the third act, Folkmosis, and the threads of the previous acts are joined together with a reminiscence from Beth’s grandmother, a modern sounding bodhran driven version of Dick Gaughan’s ‘Come Gie’s A Sang’ topped by Tiernan Courell’s flute and gentle rendition of ‘The Mountain’. The final spoken track, ‘The Beginning Of The End’ is Beth’s declaration of her state of mind and her place in the world after the turmoil. Like most of us, I guess she has found herself.

Folkmosis is a different sort of record and all I can do is recommend it for your consideration.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.bethmalcolm.com

Beth Malcolm talks about Folkmosis.

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