I have to confess that I was really excited to receive this album. Espers second album II is one of my favourite releases of the last few years. In contrast to the heavily textured psychedelic folk of Baird’s main band though, Dear Companion is an incredibly sparse, stripped down affair
, relying mainly on acoustic guitar and voice with occasional use of a dulcimer, electronics and a few overdubs. The power lies wholly in the songs and Baird’s strong performances resulting in a work that is both beautiful and personal.
Dear Companion consists of two originals, four covers and four traditional songs and for all its apparent simplicity it’s a wonderful record. Of the eight songs chosen by Baird I have to confess I was only familiar with two of the artists (Jimmy Webb and New Riders Of The Purple Sage) and none of the songs but I came away wanting to hear more. The four covers sound timeless, in fact ‘River Song’ sounds positively ancient with Baird’s folky, high, breathy voice dominating, yet all were written and recorded in the early 70s. ‘The Waltze Of The Tennis Players’ is so gently sweet and possibly the best song ever written about a one night stand.
Of Baird’s two compositions, ‘Riverhouse In Tinicum’ is achingly gorgeous, utterly evocative and full of longing. ‘Maiden In The Moon Lay’ is more fragile; it feels and sounds as though it may fall apart at any time.
As with her choice of covers, the traditional songs are exquisite. Baird utterly owns the material. Her range of singing and picking invest them with a delicate strength, especially ‘Willie O’ Winsbury’ which sounds like a long lost Sandy Denny track. Baird lets the narrative unfold at a perfect pace, never rushing or over-extending the material but allowing it to find its own rhythm and pace.
I realise that some people will hear the word ‘folk’ or the term ‘singer-songwriter’ and recoil in horror but truly this is a delightful, fantastic record. If you can’t find space for music this raw and stunning in your life or find any beauty in this I truly feel sorry for you. If, on the other hand, you’ve swooned to the recent Karen Dalton re-issue or Vashti Bunyan or been intrigued by the current bunch of folk influenced artists and contemporary interest in their predecessors then I thoroughly recommend this album, it’s that good. A truly dear companion.