Superb 3-voice a cappella harmonies.
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Posted By: Paul Jay
Date Posted: 2006-11-10 11:56:57
"Several months ago a friend in the music business played me a track of Finest Kind's, and it impressed me so much that last week I went to their concert in Ottawa and was delighted to find their performance lived up to the precision of the recorded version, with the added humour of their personalities thrown in! I thus invested in the 'Silks & Spices' CD as a souvenir (and in response to the question on their last track, yes, I still love it tomorrow!). Ten of the fifteen tracks on this CD are a cappella, and the awesome tuning of the three voice harmonies is both delightful and intriguing - especially when the progressions take an unexpected turn, such as an unresolved suspension here, a different than normal cadence there, or maybe an extra beat to one bar in the chorus. In many cases the high voice (Ann Downey) is not the lead melody, and this structure engages the listener in locating the tune (often the responsibility of Westminster Choir-trained Ian Robb) within the warm harmonic combination. I am used to arranging 6 voices for jazz chords, but the challenge of getting richness with only 3 voices is well met here. The atmosphere they create is reminiscent (minus the clinking of beer glasses and the hiccupping) of many English folk clubs and pubs where I used to listen and sing many years ago. A feature of that milieu is that many songs have a chorus where the audience is encouraged to join in, and often create improvised multi-part harmonies. I put this CD on and find myself joining in with gusto! Finest Kind create a sound very much in the traditional folk style of the Watersons (whose CDs are also available at this website). Their performance set started with an a cappella version of Dylan's 'The Times They are A-Changin' which was both familiar and different (a few chords they are a-changin'!) and that track is on this CD, along with many others of more traditional origins. Kings Singers fans will recognise the story and some of the lyrics in 'Jack the Jolly Tar' (compare to the more classical KS version on their 'Watchin' the Wild Wheat' album), and I noticed two songs (tracks 8 and 11) that are in my Bob Copper book 'A Song for Every Season'. In fact the 'Shepherds Arise' track reminds me of the lively free counterpoint of other local carols sung in churches and pubs where I grew up in the North of England. That little bit of subtle Christmas flavour on the CD could make it a great choice for a Seasonal gift, but one that you would feel happy playing all-year-round. "