To be a great folk singer, you have to be a great storyteller, as Jimmy Aldridge and Sid Goldsmith are clearly aware. Their second album is a selection of new songs and traditionals that is held together by the power of the stories, with an emphasis on the struggles of the working man (or woman). The duo are both fine singers and multi-instrumentalists, with Aldridge concentrating on banjo and Goldsmith on guitar, helped by the fiddle, accordion and pipes of excellent folk trio Teyr. Their traditional songs are mostly well-known, with sturdy new treatments of Bonny Bunch of Roses and Willie O’ the Winsbury, but their real strength lies in their original compositions, which range from stories of protest and eviction to the powerful, atmospheric title track about night workers. An impressive set – but more new songs would be welcome.
