It is so often true that folk music rarely strays far from its roots and this reverential approach soon gifts even its most cherished performers with an anonymity that their talent does not deserve. So do The Lion’s Share – a folk duo from dear old London town made up of Jimmy Grayburn and Tom Blackburn – fall into this musical trap?
The answer is not as simple as I had first thought. Sure enough, they tackle “The Prickle Eye Bush” with such earnestness that any rational man would fear being knitted directly into an Aran sweater just for listening to their rendition. However, Messrs Grayburn and Blackburn have the confidence to avoid resting on someone else’s laurels with a spirited rendition of “The Lion’s Share” establishing their credibility by demonstrating that even ghosts can be inspirational. Keeping the ship on its new course is “Cathy” with that song proving that the words of today can be spoken in the voice of the past.
I am the first to admit that I have little affection for folk music but even a cynic like me has to have to be impressed by the clarity of direction and easy on the ear delivery that these folk evangelists present within the confines of these four songs.