Alasdair Roberts - False Astronomy / Joy To The Person Of My Love (7" vinyl)

Alasdair Roberts hooks up with pals to take on a couple of medieval 17th Century folk songs, the first by John Dowland and the second, an anonymous composition. Mr. Roberts has become an expert in refreshing traditional folk songs and this single is no exception. 'Joy To The Person Of My Love' is executed with pure style, in particular the vocal tone and delivery. He sounds totally medieval. 'False Astronomy' is a great name for a 17th century folk song. Again, it's all about mimicking the odd inflections of the vocal style of the time, here Roberts' Scottish accent comes into it's own. Both tracks are backed by with a single acoustic guitar and a pair of flutes (or some variation on that tone) that run with the melodic vocal line. These songs not only sound amazing but they shine a light on the efficiency with which music was composed and performed way back when. Excellent stuff as usual.