Moving on from 2019’s highly successful ‘Wheels Of The World’, Granny’s Attic return with what many will describe as a coming of age release ‘The Brickfields’. Whereas ‘Wheels Of The World’ focused on songs and music, ‘The Brickfields’ is a purely instrumental release that features a mix of original compositions alongside re-interpretations of lesser-known traditional material.
Working with producer Ian Stephenson, the band recorded the album live in three days in the studio with no overdubs. Focusing entirely on the music – a sign of increasing confidence in their playing – the album displays a maturity in the band’s ability to write new music that stands up well against the older traditional tunes.
Traditional composition and lead single ‘Cruds & Cream / Jig From New Harmony’ sets the tone for the album, both classic upbeat tunes that draw in the listener with toe-tapping vigour. ‘Considerate Birders’, composed by George Sansome, is a slower guitar melody that features soulful violin playing by Lewis Wood.
Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne blends old and original music seamlessly on ‘Rakes Of Kirby / Will Grimdon’s No. 2’ – another upbeat tune with beautiful musicianship. The whimsical ‘Highfield’s Lament / 200 Miles South’, composed by Lewis Wood, pays tribute to a now demolished watering hole he frequented and the surreal experience of meeting the same people at different festivals on an almost daily basis.
‘The Brickfields’ is a showcase for a band that has reached a new level of maturity in their playing and writing. In addition, such is the strength of that writing, it might also be that the original compositions could one day be classics of the future.