Sam Lee’s album Ground Of Its Own is a folk march through medieval perils. The album marks the head of a resurgence of folk music having the royal gift of a Mercury Prize nomination amongst other awards. The man was a visual artist and is now, after six years of travel research and performance, a folk musician and enthusiast, creating and performing at folk events.
Each song is a story, the language is primitive, and we are dropped into the middle ages. A journeyman regaling the townspeople with dark and twisted stories to the flicker of a flame is this album. Mr Lee’s voice lacks much melodic attraction, or security in its tone, yet its warbling delivery coupled with the turns and ornaments of the time result in a honest performance from a man sharing his stories, not his talent. The talent however lies in the music, the music paints his words, sparse yet immediately complementary, the cornucopia of historic instruments weave a tapestry of Lee’s dark tales. The most striking of the tales in the album is Northlands in which, from my understanding, a young maiden is fooled by a trickster of the heart into running away with him, though when he attempts to murder and rob the her, she finds revenge and escapes. Simple stories, told with conviction and decoration, create an entrancing listen.
My one concern for an album such as this is that it requires the listener’s devoted attention, and in times devoid of campfires, where would one find space or time to listen with intent amongst the clamour of now? If answers instantly arise then take this album there. Hear the stories of the past and let them tell your future.