David Ferrard: Journeyman
Alter Road Records: ARRCD002 I first came across the music of David Ferrard on the compilation CD Not in my Name, where his contribution, The Hills of Virginia impressed me greatly. I was further impressed when I saw him perform in the company of Roy Bailey and others at the Sidmouth Peace Concert 2010 where he came across as an exceptionally talented singer and guitarist . The concert proved one of those rare occasions where I actively sought out the CD sales point and treated myself to an album of his. An action I have not regretted. Journeyman is David’s third CD and unlike his previous CD Across The Troubled Waves which consisted mainly of traditional material, David follows on from his debut album Broken Sky with an absorbing collection of his own songs. His simple, direct, easily accessible vocal style and storytelling ability is, in many ways, reminiscent of Tom Paxton in his early days, and like him, David has the enviable knack of presenting significant personal and humanitarian issues in a powerful yet non-sermonizing way. Half-Scots, half-American his I Am An Immigrant (I’m From Here) leads us through his own multi-cultural biography while Without A Daddy movingly explores the emotional turmoil of family break up. Impressions and memories of childhood are perceptively explored in My Father’s House and Childhood Days while the daring and startlingly compelling amalgamation of his song The War Carries On with Pete Seeger’s classic Turn Turn Turn is sheer brilliance. Musically the whole album is faultless with David’s vocals sensitively accompanied by varying combinations of fiddle, guitar, piano, double base and cello. A satisfying and well crafted album Brian Cope Review from Folk London - December 2011
