Playlist: back on the beat

Frankie Archer - The Demon Lover

As a rule, when it comes to folk fusion I tend to prefer more fusion and less folk. Frankie Archer, one of Northumberland’s most distinctive contemporary voices, might agree.

Her repertoire has its roots in familiar ballads. Typically ones about women subjected to the male gaze. Folk standards are recast in the manner of Barbara Ellen, traditionally a tale of a lovesick young swain now reinvented with Barbara a victim of unwanted, entitled attention.

That shift of viewpoint is also at play in the Demon Lover, a warning to wayward women dating back to 1657. With Archer’s distinctive northern accent set against sparse electronica (and filmed in a tunnel beneath Newcastle), the refrain of “A demon took my lover …” carries a whiff of the much hyped male loneliness crisis, or at least the part of it that assumes female companionship to be a right rather than a privilege.

But even without the social commentary, there’s much to enthral here. Archer’s electrofolk breathes vivid new life into old songs, creating a demonically seductive sound world that begs deeper exploration.

Catch Frankie Archer at Pop Recs in Sunderland on Saturday where she’s co-headlining at the ATFK album launch party.

Sam Slatcher - I’m Going to See You

Another gig worth looking out for this weekend sees me visiting a venue for the first time. Stanley’s White Room Music Cafe is a welcome addition to life in one County Durham’s oft-overlooked towns and deserves every success.

And when it puts on regular performances from local musicians, it’s even easier to get behind this venue. Sunday’s gig sees Steve Pledger – a well-known, politically motivated folkie on the Northeast scene – supported by Sam Slatcher. Sam fits into the same ‘man with guitar and stories’ template. He was heavily involved in last year’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the railways, composing a clutch of tracks inspired by the stories he heard from passengers on the Bishop Line, which incorporates part of the historic Stockton & Darlington Railway.

Working with poets (including the excellent Lizzie Lovejoy), Sam’s songs delve into the history of the railways with stirring anthems to the pioneers of the industrial age. But they also explore the stories strung together by those sleepers, including this one about a couple reuniting after lockdown. Simple story telling, neatly executed: hard to beat.

(Note: the video for this song was produced by Lonely Tower Film & Media, one of Marie Gardiner’s projects. For more on Marie’s photography, click here).

Tickets for gigs at the White Room can be ordered here. It’s a small venue, so try to book early!)

Tuuletar - Odotan

Finnish music might be best known for hard rock, but Tuuletar stands out in a completely different field. Like many, I got to know this female a capella ensemble via a spontaneous take on Ieva’s Polka (because, hey, they’re Finnish). Turns out there’s a lot more to them than that.

Odotan, which means I’m Waiting, is a beast of a track. Earworms weave over a beatboxing foundation, sweeping the listener through a Finnish text that possibly (based on the video) has a kind of “beneath the paving, the beach” message. It’s wonderful enough to overcome that language barrier, with Venla Ilona Blom, Piia Säilynoja, Johanna Kyykoski and Sini Koskelainen blending hints of traditional music into something compellingly new.

Better still, the band has a new album due out on Jan. 30. Maammo, meaning Mother Earth, can be ordered here. It’s unlikely I’ll get to the February launch concerts in Finland (much as I enjoyed visiting Tampere in the past, it probably doesn’t fit my schedule right now). But I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the latest music from one of the most interesting Nordic acts out there right now.

Thanks for reading another playlist. It’s been a while, but if you enjoyed it, check out the archive from my first year of playlists here.