Lady Diamond: Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson
Selwyn Music: SYNM CD 0007
For anyone who feels that modern folk music sometimes dresses the emperor up in new clothes, there is welcome relief in this debut album from Bryony Griffith and Will Hampson. They present the emperor in his old clothes, and very well they suit him too. This is straight down the line traditional music, sung and played in good strong traditional style. No breathy singer-songwriter influences here: in its strength and intensity, Griffiths' singing is closer to that of Norma Waterson or Frankie Armstrong. Hampson's melodeon accompaniment supports and enhances the delivery of the songs, without over-embellishments to distract the listener from the stories. Fiddle, viola and piano are very welcome accompaniment, too, and add drama and drive in just the right measure.
The two have been singing and playing together for the last 18 years, and have worked with big names like Bellowhead, the Kate Rusby Band and the Demon Barbers. But it is evident that they have served their time in singarounds and clubs, too: lovely to see 'from the singing of...' given as the source for many of the songs in the sleeve notes. The lovely renditions of The Constant Lovers and the title track, Lady Diamond, are worth a special mention. And although the opening track, Martinmas Time, is perhaps a trifle sedate, instrumentals like Come up the Stairs with Me certainly aren't!
Well worth buying the CD, or even better - book them for your club.
Amanda MacLean Review from Folk London - December 2011
