Folk Words review

Tim Carroll at Folk Words just reviewed my new album:

Folk Words (October 17, 2013): ‘Friday Night Train Home’ from Liz Simcock – sheer simplicity and precise poise.  

Sometimes an unnervingly pure piece of music reaches out to a part of you, equally there can be voices that touch you with their delivery, and then again, sometimes the poignancy of a particular lyric hits a similar spot. Well, I can tell you that ‘Friday Night Train Home’ from Liz Simcock scores high on all counts.

The sheer simplicity and precise poise of this album takes you right to the heart of her songwriting – thoughtful and thought-provoking, forged with a cutting edge that can turn easily from humour, through pointed narrative to tear jerking echoes. Each song offers up a slice of life, some sad, some funny and all with a message that’s redolent of reality that’s lived by us all, and delivered by a voice that brings them alive.

 

Sometimes an unnervingly pure piece of music reaches out to a part of you, equally there can be voices that touch you with their delivery, and then again, sometimes the poignancy of a particular lyric hits a similar spot. Well, I can tell you that ‘Friday Night Train Home’ from Liz Simcock scores high on all counts.

The sheer simplicity and precise poise of this album takes you right to the heart of her songwriting – thoughtful and thought-provoking, forged with a cutting edge that can turn easily from humour, through pointed narrative to tear jerking echoes. Each song offers up a slice of life, some sad, some funny and all with a message that’s redolent of reality that’s lived by us all, and delivered by a voice that brings them alive.

The sympathetic contemplation of this album echoes through story-songs like the title track ‘Friday Night Train Home’, the resilience and longing for else within the enchanting melody of ‘City Girl’ and ‘Long Haul’ with its examination of things we say and living with other people. Liz’s keen skill for creating a fine narrative is evident through the real-life expression of ‘Harry’s Eyes’, the frantic searching for a lost instrument in ‘The Bouzouki And The W3’ and the no-nonsense reassurance for all knitting freaks in ‘The Knitting Song’.

There’s the essential truth of ‘By The Way’ that puts into perspective the way we sometimes ache for another person and then there’s ‘Stepping Back in Time’ with that sometimes deliciously painful, sometimes irrevocably lost ‘remembrance-of-past-days’ musing that we all indulge in from time to time.

These are songs that might raise a wry smile or prompt a wave of sadness, whichever it is you’ll love ‘Friday Night Train Home’. To find your own copy this is the place to go: www.lizsimcock.com

Alongside Liz (vocals, guitar, bouzouki) on ‘Friday Night Train Home’ are her regular collaborators Dave Ellis (guitar, mandolin, banjo, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals) and Boo Howard (bass, guitar, backing vocals) and guesting on ‘Harry’s Eyes’ is Harry Bogdanovs (piano).

Reviewer: Tim Carroll