Megson – Smoke of Home
Since self releasing their debut disc ‘On the Side’ in 2005, acoustic duo Megson (Stu Hanna and Debbie Palmer), have made a significant impact on the folk and acoustic scene in the UK. A combination of songwriting talent, musicianship and relaxed but excellent live shows has seen them pick up many supporters, notably Bob Harris and Seth Lakeman. With such an excellent start, producing a strong second album was essential and they’ve certainly lived up the billing, ‘Smoke of Home’ is one of finest progressive folk albums in recent memory that stands up and compares well to the output of British folk/rock act Equation.
The title track refers to Stu & Debbie’s home in the industrial heartland of Teeside (although they’re now exiled in South East of England) and it’s a piece that sums up Megson well, it has excellent vocals from both Stu and Debbie, wrapped around an elegant and memorable melody but most of all it has a touch of magic in the instrumentation and arrangements – it’s a beautifully constructed album with refreshing and imaginative touches throughout.
Stu provides most of the instrumentation across the 12 songs, and his range of skills on guitar, mandola, mandolin and fiddle are complimented by Debbie on whistles, and appearances from Ben Nichols (Seth Lakeman Band) on bass and Iain Goodall (Equation) providing persussion. While the debut disc is excellent it’s a relatively simple and acoustic affair, but ‘Smoke of Home’ sees them pushing things a little further with a more diverse sound and range of backing.
As before though, both Debbie and Stu share the vocals – Debbie’s voice is clean and pure and works equally well on the slow acoustic songs as it does on the more upbeat and full tracks; the harmonies when singing together (which is on most tracks) are varied and always tight.
A mixture of 3 traditional songs, 6 originals and 3 original songs based on folklore – it’s a great mix with songs covering a broad range of subjects including a ghost story (Sammy’s Ghost), a tale of leaving home to find fame and fortune (Smoke of Home), and the obligatory folk song with a gruesome death (Lambkin).
It may only be two years since their debut, but the strides they’ve made on both the live scene and with this album demonstrate that Megson are going to be one of the best known and best loved acts for years to come. ‘Smoke of Home’ is an exceptional album and is definitely not to be missed.
