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Northern Skies - ALBUM REVIEWS 2010
R2 Magazine Review by Sean McGhee
Still in her twenties, North Yorkshire-based Rebekah Findlay is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and a singer of genuine quality. Northern Skies is her debut album. What strikes me immediately is the sheer power and authority in her voice. With something of the contempory, accent-heavy folk style most notibly heard from Kate Rusby, plus the vocal prescence of a Sinead O'Conner and with elements that variously remind me of Sandy Denny and Natalie Merchant, Northern Skies sounds like Findlay's a performer already at her peak.
Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, she is also a superb fiddle and accordian player. There's a graceful beauty to her 'In stone' while the inviting warmth of 'Luskentyre By The Sea' can't fail to draw you in. Nor is she afraid to tackle the big subjects as the tense, strident 'Pipes and drums' proves.
It's either that lack of fear, or genuine self-belief that sees Findlay offering her distinctive and successful musical rewrites of 'The song of the wandering Aengus' and traditional ballad 'The Blacksmith'. As if to further emphisise her talents, she's responsible for the impressive album artwork, too.
Revew by Mike Wilson
Fresh from the verdant lands of North Yorkshire, Rebekah Findlay releases her debut album: a gripping collection with a heart that firmly embraces the folk traditions, yet with unabashed contemporary blood positively coursing through its veins. Managing to be both vibrant and subtle, this is a more than impressive first effort, showcasing a singer who makes good use of light and shade in the delivery of her breathy vocals, displaying a commanding presence when in full force whilst being equally effective and assuredly compassionate when a more subdued approach is called for. Undoubtedly shaped by the history and landscape that surround her, Rebekah writes with a prescient grasp of language that invokes vivid imagery, delivering her interpretation of all that surrounds her with an eager pride.
Raised on Teeside, it should come as no surprise that Rebekah's coming-of-age tales and matters of the heart are scripted against a backdrop of shorelines and industrious harbours. "Harbour Wall" tells of stolen moments and a romance fuelled by shared dreams of the freedom and adventure promised by the vast ocean, contrasting with "Duty Bound" where the solitary existence of a lighthouse keeper paints a more desolate picture: "survived by no-one and husband to none, no son to take your place and keep your light alive."
Effortlessly shifting between traditional and contemporary, Rebekah shows her confidence on striking renditions of familiar traditional songs "The Blacksmith" and "Scarborough Fair," both brought to life with her bold interpretations. Perhaps the most telling fusion is on Rebekah's own "In Stone," preceded by a faux-radio recording of the Burneston Folk Club Singers' hearty rendition of the traditional shanty, "Haul In The Bowline." Remaining true to the spirit of the shanty, Rebekah picks up the more solemn story of a loved one left ashore to mourn the loss of her beau, taken by the unforgiving vigour of the ocean swell.
The language and imagery that pervades Rebekah's own writing often borrows from the tradition. Her bitter rebuke of warmongering on "Pipes & Drum" uses a language of wars long since past, yet evokes emotions and rhetoric that are as relevant now as they have ever been. Similarly, "The Lady Of The Lake," with its allusions to queens, knights, and swords pulled from stones, finds Rebekah cleverly creating her own folklore through which she depicts a universal tale of love, intrigue and deceit.
Augmented by a small group of musicians, the playing throughout Northern Skies is animated, bringing spark and spirit to a largely acoustic, enigmatic backdrop. The accompanying booklet is bedecked with the most beautiful illustrations that reflects the personal energy invested in the project, and the organic nature of both content and presentation. Northern Skies is a boldly intimate affair that is certain to catapult Rebekah Findlay to deserved wider attention and adoration.
David Kidman Review for Folk Roundabout
Born and raised in Teesside but now based in North Yorkshire, Rebekah started out in classical music (violin) then graduated to playing with a ceilidh band in her teens. After a career break (to get a career!), she took up the guitar and songwriting, and in 2008 she won the Klondike Song Of The Year trophy with Duty Bound, a song concerning a lighthouse keeper who chooses his work over love and family life. That song is included here on Northern Skies, Rebekah’s debut CD, along with a further eight of her own compositions, her atmospheric setting of Yeats’ Song Of A Wandering Aengus, and especially startling, challenging, strongly individual takes on two traditional songs (The Blacksmith and Scarborough Fair) – and finally, as a rather kooky bonus, a cover of Out Come The Freaks!
Now this is a very impressive disc indeed, both as debut recordings go and as a finely judged and accurate representation of an extremely talented lass. Although Rebekah’s an accomplished musician, a sensitive and lyrical (and refreshingly unflashy) practitioner, it’s her distinctive singing voice that first strikes the listener. Although her singing is in no way derivative, I did find that initially, in terms of attack and delivery generally, I hear traces of (in particular) Becky Unthank and Kate Rusby, especially in the phrasing and elements of regional accent; but in truth Rebekah’s voice immediately packs more of a direct punch than either of those: fearless and confident, with a heavy-duty authority, a sturdy power and burning intensity that perhaps on occasion borders on fierceness (having said that, she’s also capable of considerable sensitivity in shading, dynamics and use of tension).
As for her writing, its range is both commendably wide-ranging and highly competent, with a feel for the poetry of everyday language and economy of expression that can be heart-stoppingly poignant (Far From Home), warm and gracefully evocative (Luskentyre By The Sea), gently reflective (Harbour Wall) or desperate and restless (Pipes And Drum). The thought-provoking keening of In Stone is a harder nut to crack at first, as it ambitiously prompts deeper resonances from its use of an authentic shanty as a prelude. But perhaps the most compelling track – equal to the sweep-you-off-your-feet iconoclasm of her intensely original take on Scarborough Fair – is Rebekah’s own I Wish, which ingeniously and tellingly incorporates the refrain from the traditional song of that name within her own tale. Although on I Wish Rebekah insists on only her own guitar for company and private consolation, on the other songs she demonstrates her acute feel for apposite textural enhancement, not only by selectively multitracking herself (on fiddle and/or accordion and extra vocal lines) but also by bringing in other talented musicians – Chris Davison on guitars and Ebow, Joolz Cavell on cajon, Iain Glover on mandolin and Ben Findlay on backing vocals – in exactly the right places.
Finally, Rebekah’s purely musical talents are complemented by her abilities as an artist and graphic designer: witness the supremely attractive artwork, presentation and packaging. In every respect, the seriously top-drawer quality of this self-produced release puts to shame many a major-league product – and it fair makes me wonder just how much better Rebekah can get! For great beauty and great strength go hand in hand on Rebekah’s striking debut release.
Joe Grint Review for Tykes News
On rare occasions something so special drops through the letterbox that one is thankful to be able to share it with the rest of the world – or at least Tykes readers and Facebook friends!
The first time I played this CD, intending to listen to just a couple of tracks before retiring to bed, I remained transfixed by its beauty and power until the very end. I saw Rebekah Findlay perform around a year ago in the duo ‘One Stone’ with Wendy Arrowsmith and noted then that her original songs and interpretation of traditional material promised much. To be frank though I was simply astounded by the comparative maturity of the singing, playing and songwriting on this recording. Wondering who the other excellent musicians were, a scan over the sleeve notes revealed that most of the exquisite sounds were being made by Rebekah herself on guitar, fiddle and accordion – though there are many very creditable contributions by others. Apart from the songs and instrumentation, the other aspect of this CD that lifts it into the sublime is the engineering, with its subtle and judicious use of effects and crystalline sound. Chris Davison is the man musicians should see if they want their CDs to sound this good!
The songs themselves demonstrate the range of Rebekah’s voice, particularly on my favourite track, ‘In Stone’, which is prefaced by ‘Haul away the bowline’ sung by regulars of Burneston Folk Club transported back into the vinyl age by the addition of crackles and static – wonderful! Many of Rebekah’s lyrics have nautical and romantic themes - another superb song is ‘Duty Bound’ about the lonely existence of a lighthouse keeper. Inventive arrangements of ‘The Blacksmith’ and ‘Scarborough Fair’ provide a traditional counterbalance to the self-written material and W.B Yeats poem ‘The Song of a Wandering Angus’ perfectly fits Rebekah’s melody and the haunting wail of the ebow.
I could go on – every song deserves a paragraph to itself – but, rather than read any more of my words, buy this CD, find a space in your life with no distractions, listen and fall in love. Its that simple.
Terry Ferdinand Bishop FM
"Every once in a while a CD arrives on the doorstep and jumps up at you and shouts out this is QUALITY, and the brand new and very first ever CD, NORTHERN SKIES from an extremely talented REBEKAH FINDLAY, does just that. (www.myspace.com/rebekahfindlaymusic)
There are 12 outstanding tracks and a hidden live 13th giving full vent to her beautiful voice and amazing skills on the violin, guitar and accordion, take a sneak preview on her Myspace page, and I bet you agree with me. This CD is one of those you listen too and say this track is beautiful and definitely the best, then you listen again and say no this is, and again once more changing your mind with each play. The traditional song SCARBOROUGH FAIR is unbelievable, the violin is haunting and yet strident with Rebekah’s voice both emotional and reaching deep into your soul. VIKING BLOOD, bounces along gets right inside you, and once you’ve heard it you can’t stop singing it all day long, then there’s LUSTENTYRE BY THE SEA, a slow beautiful WOW of a song, PIPES & DRUMS, builds up to an amazing finish, and I just wanted it to go on and on. DUTY BOUND gets a revamp and gets my vote for best song on the CD, as does I WISH & THE LADY OF THE LAKE, sorry just can’t pick a winner, they are all winners, you are going to have to buy a copy and make your own mind up.
REBEKAH is expertly aided and abetted by her brother BEN, IAIN GLOVER, JOOLZ CAVELL and ZEKE DEIGHTON, all bringing the touch of magic to a magical CD."
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Folk Radio UK Review
by Neil on 23 May, 2010
Rebekah Findlay’s independantly released debut album, Northern Skies, is a mix of self-penned and traditional songs that showcase a multi-talented artist.
The opening track, Far From Home, suggests we’re in for a mellow journey with a gentle but confident guitar providing lovely rich tones, alongside light, airy vocals. It’s soon clear, though, that Rebekah is not shy about adding some power to her voice and you begin to get a taste of what this album has to offer. A quick check of the sleeve notes reveals that Rebekah plays, guitar, fiddle and accordion. The fiddle in this track hints at a higher level of skill and imaginative flair, and you’re left feeling she has more to offer in that direction. A very promising start to the album.
In Luskentyre by the sea we’re introduced to Rebekah’s accordion playing and what’s to become a recurring seashore / maritime theme. This track also provides our first hearing of brother Ben’s rich harmonies, which are used to great effect in several tracks. Hearing these two sing together lends further weight to the theory that siblings’ voices are well matched.
WB Yeats is a popular choice with musicians. The Song of a Wandering Aengus has been expertly adapted for this album by Rebekah. In this track Chris Davison’s use of the ebow becomes an essential element of this highly atmospheric album.
I Wish cites unspecified traditional sources for lyrics. Among the more obvious elements, (I wish, I wish etc) What really made me sit up and take notice was a line from a song by Lizzie Higgins, used by Martyn Bennett in Grit. This might not be Rebekah’s source but it made me smile. This song is performed by Rebekah and that beautifully rich guitar sound, an indication that a solo performance would be well worth seeing. Again, the song builds to a passionate vocal delivery as Rebekah adopts the role of deflowered maiden. I Wish is followed by Viking Blood, a lively love song about a son of the soil who can’t get used to life in the city.
The sea shanty that introduces In Stone (Haul in the bowline), is contributed by Zeke Deighton & Burneston Folk Club Singers. This powerful song deals with the ancient topic of families mourning men lost at sea, and the pain felt when there’s no grave to mark. ‘Bring him home/ bring his soul/ write his name down in stone’. This song typifies Rebekah’s strength as a songwriter, which I’ve failed to mention so far only because I’ve been so swept away by the other elements of the album. The vocals are filled with passion, revealing a bluesy side to her performance.
Rather than an outright anti-war song, Pipes & Drum seems to deal with the historical, personal reasons for going to war. The song is sung from the point of view of the ancient warrior classes and their need for battle. It also hints at the need of these same men to drag or encourage the common foot soldier into battle with them.
Rebekah’s rendition of The Blacksmith is one of the finest I’ve heard. The atmospheric instrumentation, led by carefully layered fiddle, provides an excellent backdrop to her theatrical vocal delivery, with its unorthodox timings and passionate expression.
Duty Bound won the Klondike Song Of The Year trophy and concerns the solitary existence of the lighthouse keeper. The song features Ian Glover on mandolin. In Lady of the Lake Rebekah adds a twist to Arthurian legend. Then in Harbour Wall we return to a more standard (but no less enjoyable) love song.
To close the album we’re treated to another standard, Scarborough Fair. Again, the arrangement is original in its approach and compelling. Rebekah succeeds more than most in telling the tale of impossible tasks laid down for a potential suitor. Her multi-layered fiddle is again in evidence and brings the album to stirring conclusion.
…not quite though – we’re also treated to a bonus track in the form of Chris Wood’s re-write of Out Come The Freaks (originally created in several versions by Was not Was). A highly enjoyable bonus it is too.
Yesterday I hadn’t heard of Rebekah Findlay. Today I’m left in no doubt that she’s a skilled songwriter, musician, arranger and graphic artist (the artwork on the CD is her own). Her song-writing is evocative, reflective and often thought-provoking. Her musical arrangements show a willingness to experiment and refine a piece until it suits her range of styles. Her musicianship throughout the Northern Skies is of the highest standard.
A quick check of Rebekah Findlay’s appearances at Ryedale Folk Weekend (28th/29th/30th/31st May 2010) show a string of afternoon sets. I’m sure this release will raise her profile as word spreads, so it could well be worth getting along to enjoy her music in a more intimate setting while you still have the chance. If Northern Skies is anything to go by, you’d be in for a treat.
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Live Video @ Kirkby Fleetham Folk Club - Richard Thompson's Beeswing.
EARLY REVIEWS - PRE ALBUM!
"Since appearing on the local folk scene less than a year ago Rebekah has become a very busy girl. This stunning singer & multi-instrumentalist has wowed audiences across the Northeast. Tonight she is solo.... expect her fine self penned Duty Bound (she won the 2008 Klondike Folk Artists songwriting competition) with a smattering of trad songs......... and I hope her stunning cover of the Richard Thompson Classic 'Beeswing'."
Kirkby Fleetham Folk Club.
" Rebekah sang her own winning “song of the year” Duty Bound with such feeling and passion, and emotion, so much so that when she sings about the lonely lighthouse keeper, you become mesmerised and don’t listen to it, you actually experience and live the song. "
Terry Ferdinand, Bishop FM Radio.
"Rebekah is a solo artist - just a girl and her guitar - and tonight was her first performance at Teesside Open Mic. Understandably nervous, Rebekah took to the stage and put on an absolutely first class show, she has the most amazing, haunting voice and everybody in the pub was sorry she wasn't on for much longer. We are looking forward to seeing a lot more of her at future events."
Review by North East Live.
"I stumbled across Rebekah quite by chance but I'm glad I did. Her original pieces are well-crafted & lovely (her song "Duty Bound" won the Klondike Song of the Year 2008) and the arrangements of the traditional songs are fantastic (she's a multi-instrumentalist), but it is her voice that has completely captivated me. It's very down-to-earth and intimate and capable of carrying a great deal of emotion. It's the sort of voice that makes you lean in and listen closely; a story-teller's voice. I really love listening to her sing."
Review from Myspace, 'Find of the week' 23rd FEB 2009 - Lori, Minnesota.
"I watched Rebekah sing six songs last night, and before every song, she closed
her eyes, and her mood changed, she doesn’t just sing, she lives the songs, and in the studio, the silence was deafening. I sat transfixed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of her voice."
Terry Ferdinand, Bishop FM Radio.
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