Abbie Lathe
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
traditional and contemporary British folk
Status:
Most recent release, Low Summer (not sure of release date)
See also:
Abbie Lathe's Soundcloud pageShe also sings with Maddy Prior and the Girls
Comparisons:
Maddy Prior, June Tabor, Niamh Parsons
Covers/own material:
Own and covers
General comments:
Wow—what a lively, strong, expressive voice! Abbie Lathe is clearly a gifted vocalist and has developed it into a really impressive instrument with a wide range of emotion. She makes every word count, which is especially lovely in her renditions of traditional material—she makes well-known material come to life again. I could sometimes argue with her choice of contemporary songs—most of them just can't bear the weight of her attention—but when the material is strong enough there's nothing like it. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
Avebury is the only one I've heard
Recordings:
- Spring (year?)
- Polly's Kitchen (with Martin Brunsden, 2003)
- Avebury (2003)
- Low Summer (c. 2005?)
Avebury
Release info:
2003—Park Records—PRKCD67
Availability:
See Abbie Lathe's site
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of tradiational and contemporary folk
Group members:
Abbie Lathe—6-string acoustic guitar, piano, Indian harmonium, drum, low whistle, triangle
Guest artists:
Tony Poole—12-string and 6-strin acoustic guitars, programming
John Spiers—melodeon
Martin Brunsden—double bass, bowed double bass, mandolin, musical saw
Jane Griffiths—violin, viola
Produced by:
Tony Poole
Comments:
While Abbie Lathe's vocals are consistently impressive on this album, I find the material a little mixed. With the exception of the title track, I'm not very fond of the contemporary material here as the songs just don't hold up to the weight of her interpretation. I'm sure this is a matter of taste and others would love this, as I find this true for me of most contemporary folk. However, the focus of this album is Abbie Lathe's amazing vocals. My favourite tracks here are the two traditional ones "Searching for Lambs" and "Lady Franklin's Lament" and of Abbie's own song, "Avebury", where the tune and her singing utterly win me over. (Neile)
