Album Reviews
Wayfaring Stranger by Jon Bickley (October 20, 2009)
Here’s an album that’s worth a few of your hard-earned
beer tokens. It’s Wayfaring Stranger by Jon Bickley. He of the slightly hoarse voice that wanders through his songs delivering hazy poetry with
an intriguing timbre.
This album mixes self-penned and traditional songs. And if
you think ‘traditional’ is a folk safety net, think again. Jon’s
treatment of ‘traditional’ doubtless has many trad folkies raging against his
style. Well rage not. This man is taking folk to different places with
sparse guitar licks, meagre mandolin accents and tiny accordion touches. On
this album Martin Bradford-Gago (mandolin) and Tom Bickley (accordion) provide
those inflections and hints.
Wayfaring Stranger opens with ‘Raglan Road’ an almost-acapella
version that squeezes every ounce of emotion out of this sorrowful song. Next you’re into the harsh grinding observations of ‘Let’s go
to England’ - a song that packs passion and power into its cutting lyrics.
There’s another re-think on tradition with Jon’s version of ‘Lord Franklin’ -
more raw emotion on display and spot-on for this sorrowful song. With ‘Let My Love’ and ‘We all feel alone sometimes’ there are glimpses
of a more conventional approach but still the lyrics and phrasing of these
achingly sad songs is pure Bickley. ‘Tomorrow’ - a great song - closes the album using stark images to build hope from experience.
Listen half-heartedly and you’ll miss most of the content.
And that could turn off some people. Whatever his subject – love, pain,
longing, resentment or raging against life – Jon works on a style that’s both
relaxed and commanding. His mournful, introspective songs mingle with unique
takes on time-honoured tunes to craft this personal journey. I guess that’s why
it’s called the Wayfaring Stranger.
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