Ms McShane is, at the moment, better known as the ‘only girl in Bellowhead’, offering cello, fiddle and vocal duties. As an ensemble player she has gathered praise and respect, but now with her debut album steps forward into the centre stage spot.
The album’s theme is centred around a series of traditional songs either from the perspective of women, or with a woman as the main protagonist. The unique selling point of the album is that Rachael has gathered around herself a collection of what seems to be jazz musicians rather than relying on the regular pool of folk musicians. This lends the album a different feel from much of the ‘new folk’ that has appeared over the last few years.
Stand out tracks for me were the plaintive piano and violin of Captain Ward and the perfect blending of folk melody and jazz-ballad piano on Shepherd Lad. Weaker, for me, were some of the more self-indulgent musical explorations in My Johnny was a Shoemaker and The Fisherman. Particularly brave was to recall Eliza Carthy with a rendition of Maid on the Shore – it certainly shows the confidence and ambitions of Rachael!
Overall an ambitious first album that gives the folk world another young female artist with both talent and confidence.
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