Glasgow singer and songwriter BG McDaid has recently returned to Clydeside, after a period of living in Southern England, and his music career has also moved in a new direction. After making two acclaimed albums with acoustic group Kinfolk, he’s gone solo with a new album, Folk’ n Trouble. This collection of eleven songs and one tune, all written by BG, cover a broad swathe of human life, from global issues to the deeply personal. Difficult topics are addressed, and there is some sadness, but a spirit of hope and optimism is present throughout.
It’s a song about very personal feelings that opens the album. ‘I Wish I Was Home’ tells of feeling lost and out of place, yearning for home and loved ones. The opening is slow and gentle, before an accordion (played by Angus Lyon, of Blazin’ Fiddles) strikes up and a quicker tempo takes over.
The second track has an Irish feel, helped by Gavin Marwick on fiddle and Marissa Wait on bodhran. That’s appropriate for a song about the horrors of the Irish Famine of the 1840s. ‘Coffin Ship (Erin’s Queen)’ tells of a ship that sailed from Liverpool to Canada in 1847. It seems an excruciatingly inappropriate name for a floating hell, where terrible conditions caused the deaths of half of the 1,500 Irish passengers during or shortly after the voyage. It’s a powerful song, highlighting the greed and indifference with which famine victims were treated – “So don’t forget what they went through, And What the landlords really knew.”
Two things inspired the next track. First, that homelessness can affect anyone and second, that the Government housed nearly all rough sleepers during the COVID pandemic, only for them to return to the streets afterwards. Why? With its gently melancholic tune, ‘Living On The Street’ tells of the shock, humiliation and broken dreams suffered by the homeless. After that, a bit of optimism might be needed, and ‘All Together’ provides just that. With its message that we can achieve our goals better when working together, and an upbeat, marching tune tempo, this is a joyous call for collective action. A strong and uplifting track.
Two songs about departed family members follow. ‘Here Lies My Rose’ concerns a great-aunt, who BG only found out about while researching his family history. The tune is sad and soulful, with surprisingly emotional lyrics for someone BG didn’t actually know. In contrast, ‘Dear Mary Anne’ is about BG’s late parents. Written on what would have been his Mum’s birthday, he imagines them together, with his dad saying what he might have said if they were – “You held my hand, made me all that I am, And I still love you, Dear Mary Anne.” The tune is poignant, without being in any way mournful, while the lyrics are warm and affectionate. A very touching song.
‘There’s A Welcome Waiting Here’ deals with one of the most fraught issues facing the World today, the endless flows of people fleeing famine, war, and oppression. This is a deeply compassionate song. The tone is optimistic, perhaps describing how things should be – with a warm welcome for refugees – rather than how they are. The tune is gently poignant and compliments the lyrics well.
The mood changes again for ‘Summer’s Here,’ the only instrumental track on the album. It’s a delightfully uplifting tune, unmistakeably Scottish, and with Angus Lyon providing a jaunty lift. As we move through autumn and the nights draw in, this is a perfect reminder that summer will return.
‘Where The Wind Blows’ tells the story of ‘Quiet Waters,’ a Peterhead fishing boat that sank with all her crew in 1954. In doing so, it pays tribute to all victims of maritime disasters around the coast of these islands. The rhythmic, lilting tune has an Americana feel, helped by Alan Train’s pedal steel playing.
‘Was It All for Nothing’ tells of a young soldier, who volunteers to fight for freedom, but is left disappointed and feeling let down by those he served, concluding, “If someone says this time it won’t be the same, Then just you remind them oh ‘never again.’“ The tune is good, very Scottish and with a suitably military feel. A military tempo and drumbeat are also heard on ‘Sacrifice,’ although the tune is slower. The song is a tribute to brave men and woman who have risked everything to stand for freedom and justice throughout history, particularly those who are unremembered; “Nameless faces, that we should know.”
‘Adios’ is an appropriate name for the final track. This has strong Americana vibes, with the pedal steel returning. The lyrics are about moments when we can’t bring ourselves to say goodbye, despite knowing that’s what we should do; “Though I tried and tried I couldn’t say goodbye, I said Adios.”
We’ve all been in that situation, and the relatability of the lyrics is one of the great strengths of Folk’ n Trouble. It’s a very human album, telling of life as lived. It could be described as understated, with no grand statement or innovation, but for me this is a good, solid folk album. It consists of twelve well-crafted tracks, with lyrics that are not overly sophisticated, but are thoughtful and meaningful throughout. There are songs of hope, solidarity, loss, and protest. Some tell of historically momentous events, some of the daily experiences of life, but there’s meaning to be found in them all. I think true folk music enthusiasts will appreciate this album.
Graham Brown
Artist’s website: HOME | BG McDaid
‘There’s A Welcome Waiting Here’ – live:
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