The Unthanks - Here's the Tender Coming (2010)

Review By Lisa Dib

I once had a ten-minute argument with an acquaintance over Something for Kate. Both of us being pig-headed, stubborn music fans, we refused to leave our respective posts : he maintained that SFK were dull, over-sentimental and lachrymose.

I argued that, no, they made beautiful, emotive music seeping with poetic turmoil and gorgeousness and gorgeosity. 

This squabble raged on and on, of course, to no avail- music being entirely subjective- and we eventually, begrudgingly, agreed to disagree.

The point of this cautionary tale being that this was the same form of inner deliberation I had when first listening to UK folkers The Unthanks’ "Here’s The Tender Coming". 

I found myself in an Attila The Hun situation of being pulled in different directions.

I was enamoured with the sublime vocal work (not unlike Melbourne band Aluka whose praises I have been shouting from my proverbial rooftop of late), haunting gongs and keys and the Irish lilt of their ghostly tunes. 

But I found myself inexplicably drawn away from time to time; the music too intangible to hold onto.

Sad February is just that; "Bleak February, a cruel bitter wind", the shanty lilt balancing the entire melody of the elegy. The sparse strings on Annachie Gordon, too, are tranquil and haunted. But, as a whole, the record does little to keep my attention.

The arrangements are at least clean and refined; these guys didn’t mess about in their shed for this one. You can practically taste England in the air when the songs eke out. 

Even the livelier Lucky Gilchrist, with its bouncy keys and energetic drumbeats, still maintains the sad strings that, by their very nature, are sedative. 

Make no mistake; this is a beautiful, gentle album that folk-pop fans will cream their Gingham dresses for...

I just couldn’t maintain my direction.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Brought To You By The Dwarf