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Review

Lisbee Stainton

Then Up

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by Ian Mann

May 23, 2017

/ ALBUM

Undoubtedly her most personal album to date, and arguably her most mature. The vocal performances are superb throughout and Stainton is well served by a highly skilled band of accompanists.

Lisbee Stainton

“Then Up”

(Marionet Music MarionetCD20)

Okay, Lisbee Stainton isn’t really a jazz performer, even allowing for the fact that saxophone great Iain Ballamy guested on her first album, but she is an artist who has appeared regularly on the Jazzmann web pages and I make no apology for that.

I’ve had a soft spot for Stainton’s music since  I first encountered her singing and playing back in 2011 when she supported Judy Collins at a memorable concert held in the beautiful environs of Worcester Cathedral.  She’s since become something of a Jazzmann favourite, something that her local connections (her parents now live in Herefordshire) have only encouraged.  Stainton has performed in nearby Hereford and its environs on numerous occasions and thus I’ve had the opportunity to see her play live several times in formats ranging from solo acoustic artist to leader of a four piece rock band. She’s a confident, consistent, professional performer who always deliver the goods in whatever context she finds herself. Her stagecraft has been honed not only both by regular concert and festival appearances but also by more intimate “living room gigs” performed to small invited audiences of fans, friends and family. 

Stainton is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for her playing of a custom made eight string acoustic guitar. Her work combines the intimacy of folk with the immediacy of pop and she has developed a growing following over the course of four previous albums “Firefly” (2006), “Girl On An Unmade Bed” (2010), “Go” (2011) and “Word Games” (2014).

A graduate of the  Popular Music and Composition course at Goldsmith’s College in Londn the hard working Stainton learned much from her work as a support act opening shows for such established performers as Joan Armatrading, Gretchen Peters, Paul Brady, Paul Carrack and Seth Lakeman. Indeed Lakeman was so impressed that he invited Stainton to join his own band providing backing vocals and playing a variety of instruments ranging from banjo to harmonium. I was fortunate enough to cover a couple of Lakeman shows featuring Stainton back in 2012/13 where it became obvious that Stainton’s talents had brought her to the attention of a whole new audience. Lakeman is another folk musician who has been a long time Jazzmann favourite since I first encountered the then young musician playing as part of a trio fronted by Oysterband vocalist John Jones back in 2004 – appropriately enough in Hereford. 

The Lakeman connection is immediately apparent on “Then Up”, Stainton’s fifth album, which lists Lakeman band members Jack Rutter (guitars, banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, ,backing vocals) and Cormac Byrne ( bodhran, percussion, drums kit, backing vocals) among the core personnel.  Long standing Stainton associate Pete Randall plays acoustic and electric bass and a little electric guitar and fitted the album sessions in between touring with Adele.  The album also includes substantial contributions from guests Eleanor McEvoy (fiddle, piano, organ, backing vocals) and Charlie Dore (piano, backing vocals).

Stainton’s stint with Lakeman also informs the overall sound of the album. Over the years Stainton has worked with a variety of producers and some of her albums have been quite lavishly produced with keyboards and strings prominent in the arrangements. This time round Stainton has effectively done the job herself in conjunction with principal engineer Liam Ross. The result is a more stripped back, pared down sound with the emphasis very much on guitars and variants thereof with Byrne’s percussion bringing something of the rhythmic drive that he imparts to Lakeman’s group. The resultant music is strong, warm and personal and more obviously folk influenced than on some previous releases. 

Stainton has always written from personal experience and although she’s not the most profound lyricist around her songs do have a frankness and honesty about them that is very appealing, particularly when allied to the cool, pure beauty of her voice. She’s also a highly accomplished instrumentalist, a quality that helps her to rise to the challenge of the unaccompanied theatre performance and succeed.

Having seen Stainton performing live on numerous occasions I was surprised to read in the press release accompanying this album that during the course of the last two years this highly capable, intelligent and seemingly confident young woman has suffered from anxiety issues which manifested themselves in a difficult bout of stage fright. Hopefully this is something that is now all in the past. Some of the songs on “Then Up” address these issues making this Stainton’s most personal album yet and one assumes that tackling these problems in the form of songs has been both cathartic and therapeutic for the writer.  Certainly the mood of the album is generally positive and upbeat with Stainton’s notes in the press release offering insights into the meaning of the individual songs.

Opener “Burn Out” establishes the album sound, rhythmic, tightly knit guitars, clear, bright, clear vocals and Byrne’s percussion subtly pushing the music along.. Lyrically the song is self admonitory with Stainton giving herself something of a “pep talk”. It’s all about working through the ”burn outs”, learning to relinquish control and stop being such a perfectionist. Heavy stuff ,but the song sees Stainton working through her problems and the overall effect on the listener is uplifting, something encouraged by the buoyant rhythms and soaring vocal melodies.

“Leaving” is about Stainton’s love/hate relationship with London.  It’s a sharply observed vignette that Ray Davies himself would be proud of . Referencing a number of well known landmarks and driven by a mix of guitars, banjos and percussion it’s a bitter-sweet song with an infectious and memorable chorus.

“Vodka and Tonic” was written in Dublin with the Irish singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy with whom Stainton toured the UK back in 2013..  Featuring McEvoy on backing vocals the song incorporates a lilting an unexpectedly flirtatious lyric. Stainton’s liner notes report that she and McEvoy had to research the song’s subject matter with a visit to a Dublin drinking establishment.

Musically “Skin Changer” hints strongly at the influence of the Lakeman band with its hard driving rhythms featuring guitars, banjo, vigorously plucked stand up bass and percussion. Stainton responds with one of her most powerful vocal performances, but loses nothing of her well enunciated purity and clarity.  The lyrics are once again playful, with an unexpected final “plot twist”.

“Vodka and Tonic” and “Skin Changer” are ‘story’ songs, the protagonist in the lyrics is not necessarily Stainton. But the wistful “A Letter” finds the songwriter back in confessional mode as she directs a missive to her younger self, the seasoned performer warning the young, excited ingénue not to become too disillusioned with the music business and the song-writing process. Self indulgent? Maybe but the engaging melody and the wistful but precise vocal performance override such considerations and ensure that the song remains convincing and ultimately uplifting.

With its multi-tracked vocal choruses “Spark” addresses the subject of spilt-second attraction and the uncertainties resulting from it.  Lyrically, and particularly the line “I can’t let go and I crave control” fit right into the context of the rest of the album but the musical arrangement is very different to all that has gone before.

During her student years Stainton supplemented her income by working as a London tour guide. She remains an “amateur historian”, fascinated by the capital’s past and it was this that inspired the ‘story’ song “The Dance Of Nothing”. Based loosely upon the 17th century “Thieves Cant”. the title refers to the kicking of the legs of the condemned men hanging from the gallows. Thus it represents a kind of modern folk song, rooted in fact and not a million miles away from Lakeman’s updating of the myths and stories of his own West Country. Tension builds throughout the arrangement culminating in a chaotic “crowd section” at the end of the song, a maelstrom of voices simulating the sounds heard at a public execution at Tyburn in the 1600s.

“Reason” is the single from the album and features a full on rock style arrangement incorporating electric guitars and a rousing chorus. Stainton says of the lyrics “it’s all about making difficult decisions and trying to assign a rationale to something in order to justify it. When you put something out there you have a responsibility for what comes back to you in response”. Doubtless it’s another musing on the artistic process but I see parallels to social media and “fake news” too.

The title of “Sixteen” might suggest a similar theme to the earlier “A Letter”. Instead Stainton addresses the passing of time and the effect that this has on long standing friendships. As she remarks in her liner notes “it’s easy to lose a sense of who you are to each other within the present if you’re too busy trying to fit that person into a mould you made for them a long time ago”. Thus it’s actually a very mature song, not quite on a par with Peter Hammill’s “Easy To Slip Away”, but undeniably a lot less bleak.

“Bad Decision” was co-written with pianist Charlie Dore and addresses the subject of the unintentionally cutting comment, the ‘foot in mouth’ remark and the ensuing recriminations. The protagonist feels acute guilt and apologises profusely but remains unforgiven. The friendship is broken, but who ultimately made the “Bad Decision”?

“Gloria” is nothing to do with Van Morrison or even Patti Smith but is a co-write with McEvoy that harks back to the days of the Berlin wall. A dramatic instrumental arrangement incorporating electric guitars and keyboards adds impact but even allowing for Stainton’s fascination with history one can’t help feeling that the rather slight lyric is a little redundant at this point.

Also written with McEvoy “After Every Try” is a hymn to self belief and perseverance with the co-composers voices harmonising on the uplifting, self affirming choruses as the lyrics cast them as a kind of song-writing Thelma and Louise.

Presented as a bonus track “Be Still” addresses Stanton’s anxiety issues full on with a painfully frank and self referential lyric and correspondingly naked and emotive vocal performance. It’s not an easy listen but the performance is filled with a fragile beauty that reveals Stanton at her most vulnerable.

“Then Up” maintains the high artistic standards set by Stainton’s previous releases. It’s undoubtedly her most personal album to date and arguably her most mature.  The vocal performances are superb throughout and Stainton is well served by a highly skilled band of accompanists. The pared down instrumental approach serves the songs well but where additional elements are used they are deployed extremely effectively.

The mix of first person and ‘protagonist’ and Historical songs works well and the album should hold considerable appeal for Stainton’s established fanbase. The more personal nature of many of the songs probably mitigates against a real leap into the mainstream, although the charming “Leaving” might have a chance and make for a good next single. Nevertheless there are plenty of good songs and strong tunes here and the album should help to consolidate the success that this talented vocalist, songwriter and instrumentalist has already achieved.

Stainton is currently touring this material and I intend to see her at the Courtyard Arts Centre in Hereford on May 27th 2017. For full listings please visit http://www.lisbee.com

 



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