Tag: Alice Allen

Jenn Butterworth describes her debut album as “a feminist statement”. Her By Design certainly opens with a statement; a powerful version of Sandy Denny’s ‘All Our Days’. Sandy’s original version is different but only in degree, being rather more solemn and heavily orchestrated, but I think she would approve of this. Jenn takes it a little faster and the orchestration is less heavily loaded: Sandy had a brass section, a silver band and an orchestra. Jenn’s support comes in the form of a string quartet – Seonaid Aitken and Kirsty Orton on violins, Patsy Reid on viola and Alice Allen on cello – with James Lindsay, Louis Abbott and Signy Jakobsdottir in the engine-room and Keir Long and Tom Gibbs on keys.

Next comes ‘Little Sparrow’ (also known as ‘Come All You Fair And Tender Ladies’), the lament of a young woman crossed in love. It isn’t such a contrast as you might think because, rather than use an archetypically fragile Appalachian arrangement, Jenn gives it all she can while still retaining the acoustic guitar and banjo roots of the original. Robin Dransfield’s ‘Fair Maids If February’ is a delightful surprise – the song is about snowdrops.

‘The Housewife’s Lament’ is a splendid traditional song that gets to the heart of the female condition – at least as it was a century ago. Think of it as a cousin of ‘Rigs Of The Time’ and ‘Hard Times Of Old England’; it’s possibly my favourite track here and there’s a clever touch at the end. Jenn wrote ‘A Toast’, another song of an unfaithful lover decorated with driving, chugging violins and ‘One In Ten’, the sad story of women afflicted by endometriosis.

‘Jeannie’ is a version of one of my favourite traditional songs, ‘Anachie Gordon’ and we all know how well that story turns out. Finally, ‘Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still’ always puts me in mind of a soppy song from the music halls but, in fact, this version was collected in Carolina as recently as 1951. Once again, Jenn gives it full measure with no false emotion.

Her By Design is an exceptional album and as a debut it’s a masterpiece. Turn up the volume and luxuriate in the singing and the sound. The cover design is also exceptional by may I enter a plea on behalf of aging reviewers with less than perfect eyesight?

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: https://www.jennbutterworth.co.uk/

‘Little Sparrow’ – official video: