Description
Penny Davies and Roger Ilott – Fortunate
Digital CD review by Tony Smith
TN168 Jan 25
This 2024 album of a dozen high quality tracks over 40 enjoyable minutes from Restless Music adds yet again to the esteem in which this veteran folk duo is held.
Assisted by Tony Ilott on bass guitar and Andy Wilmott on drums, Penny Davies (vocals, mandolin, bowed mandola and drums) and Roger Ilott (vocals, acoustic, classical and twelve string guitars, pedal steel, banjo, keyboards and bass guitar) again demonstrate their competence and comfort with the folk idiom.
The opening track for example, ‘Another Day’, runs to a variant of ‘I’ll Tell Me Ma’, a jaunty tune that skips along.
The pair wrote ‘Imagine Justice’, ‘Emu Field’ and ‘Scattering Jewels’ and arranged the traditional songs lamenting the disappearance of ‘Lord Franklin’ and the Welsh romance ‘Dacw Nghariad’.
Davies penned ‘Another Day’, ‘Tachybaptus’, ‘Little Grebe’ and ‘The Emerald Sail’.
Ilott wrote ‘Wooloweyah’.
‘Only Profits, Not Workers’ (K.Baker) and ‘Roll and Sway’ (“Spinifex”/ J.Broomhall) could be considered covers.
As always with their work, a feature of this CD is the variety of arrangements.
There is one recitation ‘Tachybaptus’ backed by melody lacings.
‘Little Grebe’ opens with unaccompanied voices in harmony reminiscent of the Wailin’ Jennys and then proceeds with banjo.
Several tracks relate to the ocean.
There is the lament about Lord Franklin’s disappearance which has been recorded by vocalists as prominent as Sinead O’Connor.
Franklin was at one time governor of Tasmania and died searching for the northwest passage around Canada.
‘Roll and Sway’ has a relaxing waltz tune, ‘Wooloweyah’, named for a town and lake on the New South Wales north coast, is almost a lullaby and ‘The Emerald Sail’ a longing for home.
In these songs, the rocking feeling is enhanced by a slightly slack sound on the guitar.
Birds get a few mentions with ‘Tachybaptus’, a story of survival, and ‘Little Grebe’ and there is a hint of this aspect of nature in the title at least of ‘Emu Field’.
There are a couple of other strong themes.
‘Profits, Not Workers’, which Ilott sings clearly and strongly, describes amongst other outrages the asbestos scandal at places such as Wittenoom.
‘Emu Fields’ chronicles the horror visited on the land and its people by nuclear testing.
These are direct criticisms of plutocrats and weak governments which permit such outrages.
There is also a strong sense of realism about treatment of Indigenous people.
‘Imagine Justice’ invites us all to take responsibility for the destruction of Aboriginal society which amounts to nothing less than genocide.
Can we imagine what justice might look like for these dispossessed people whose culture and identity has been stolen along with their land?
As ever, this experienced duo know instinctively just how long to keep the entertainment flowing.
They scatter sparkling jewels all right.
The jewels are their songs.
Fortunate shows that Penny Davies and Roger Ilott are at the peak of their powers of songwriting, arranging and performing.
Lucky are we to experience these mature musicians in their prime.
From songs about Australian birds to songs of social justice, from descriptive imagery of the landscape to haunting tales of the sea (and even a quick trip to Wales!), 42 years after their debut album Penny & Roger continue to find something fresh in every song as they weave their musical magic.
Penny’s heart-felt vocals soar over gorgeous arrangements featuring acoustic guitars, mandolin, keyboards, harmonies, and evocative use of pedal steel and Roger’s signature 12 string guitar. Their 26th album!
TRACKLIST: Another Day, Imagine Justice, Lord Franklin,
Roll & Sway, Profits, Not Workers, Wooloweyah,Tachybaptus, Little Grebe,
Emu Field, Dacw Nghariad (Yonder Is My Beloved),
The Emerald Sail, Scattering Jewels
