Album Review:Gallows Tree Tales by Andrew “Slim” Black

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Gallows Tree Tales promo picture

Gallows Tree Tales:Andrew “Slim” Black incorporates catchy folk rock tunes, Celtic airs and autobiographical lyrics creating an album that is melodic and timeless. 

Dan Clark – lead guitar/piano/Hammond

Colman Connoly -Uilleann pipes/flute

Ben Cordrey – Bass

Sam Kimmins-Harmonica

Orlaith McAuliffe-Whistle/flute

The Singology Gospel Choir conducted and arrange by Reese Robinson

Track listing:

1. The Nuremberg Defense
2. Under The Sea
3. ’til My Dying Day
4. Reassemble My Heart
5. Heart And Soul
6. Cadogan 129
7. The Gallows Tree
8. Lay Me Down
9. Tearing Down The Roses
10. Peggy Gordon
11. Reason And Rhyme

I got a copy of Gallows Tree Tales by UK based singer/songwriter  Andrew “Slim” Black. I didn’t write a review about it right away because I want the music to seep through my head before doing anything. An album has many layers and sometimes there are parts of songs you thought you’ve listened to and after several listens you realize that you miss little details. This is what the Gallows Tree Tales album is about. A big armada of sound.  An artfully crafted independent release  that is well produced  and spanning several talents. Even the album liner notes are worth to have because you can see that a lot of detail has been given to them.

The music of Gallows Tree Tales can be described as catchy folk rock inspired by the Beatles with Irish frills. Expect that on top of high powered guitar passages there are folk instruments and hymn- like ballads. Slim labored three years for this album, crafting the materials and getting friends to play on the record. The result is a collection of songs that demands to be listened to again and again for years to come.

Oxford dictionary defines gallows as a structure, typically of two uprights and a crosspiece, for the hanging of criminals. This is clearly represented in this line from Reassemble my heart (track 3)

“They locked her high above in a tower

It was overlooking the gallows tree

They had a family priest and on a moveable feast

Well he swallowed the surviving key

The album plays  like browsing through snapshots of people’s lives in history as well as an excursion into a cycle that plagues us: finding love and losing it. It covers  a lot of topics from Irish martyrs, deceit and star crossed lovers. Slim has way with words. His lyrics  can sometimes sound Shakespearean. He does layer the impeccable choice of words with rugged delivery. His voice seems to rip at times but still retaining its nuance.

All tracks are good. So far I don’t have an experience where my interest wobbled a bit. Everything here keeps you on tight reign. And the journey reaches an utter climax with the second to the last song called Penny Gordon. Slim’s beautiful tortured angel of a voice soars wrapped in the draconian halo of the Singology Gospel Choir. If you like your tunes to rock but with a lot of heart and soul then Gallows Tree Tales won’t disappoint you.

Baxter Labatos | Expats Post

Sampler tunes:

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/slimmusic/gallows-tree-tales-album

More of this artist at : http://www.slim-music.com

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Baxter Labatos (43 Posts)

With music we build bridges!