Heart's Ease

UKトラッド・フォークの生ける伝説シャーリー・コリンズ
復活第2作目となる待望の最新アルバム発売

UKフォークにおける伝説的ミュージシャン、シャーリー・コリンズが最新アルバム『Heart's Ease』を＜Domino＞よりリリース。
38年ぶりの復活作となった前作『Lodestar』から4年ぶりの作品となる本作はブライトンで制作され、彼女が60～70年代に残した作品に比肩するオリジナリティ、そして再びその長いブランクを感じさせない歌声に感嘆させられる仕上がりとなった。英米のトラディショナル・ソングはもちろん、新曲も多数収録した今作は、先行公開された海賊キャプテン・キッドで有名な18世紀のイングリッシュ・バラード「Wondrous Love」をはじめ全12曲を収録。ジミー・ペイジやレイ・デイヴィスにも影響を与え、フォークを中心にブルース、ジャズ、中東音楽、インド音楽等の要素も持ち込んだ音楽性で、1960年代イギリスのフォーク・シーンにおける重要な触媒になった人物として評価された今は亡き盟友デイヴィ・グレアムからのインスパイア、そして公私ともにパートナーであるオースティン・ジョン・マーシャルと2曲で歌詞を共作しており、作品に深い魅力を添えている。
世界同時発売となる本作は通常のCD/LPに加え、限定アウタースリーヴを纏った特殊パッケージ仕様のアナログ盤の3形態でリリース。

A large part of the thrill of Shirley Collins 2016 album Lodestar was the fact it existed at all. A combination of dysphonia and a severe loss of confidence had led the iconic British folk singer to retreat from music beyond a few guest spots on recordings with Current 93. Collins hadnt recorded an album of her own since the late 70s until organizing the home recording sessions that led to Lodestar. It was a more than welcome return from an artist whose career seemed to be over, and it also reawakened Collins belief in her own talents. Emboldened by the enthusiastic reception Lodestar received, Collins went into a recording studio with the same group of musicians (led by Ian Kearey of Oysterband) and returned with 2020s Hearts Ease, an even stronger and more satisfying collection of songs. Like Lodestar, Hearts Ease is the work of a singer more than 80 years old, and the passage of time has corrupted the clarity of Collins instrument. However, her sense of phrasing and the authority she brings to songs from the traditional folk canon remain impressive, and here she sounds like the eminence grise of British folk, masterful and eloquent even when her voice betrays her age. Hearts Ease lacks the audio virete feel of Lodestar (with the occasional sounds of the outside world bleeding into the microphones), trading it for the clarity and control of a recording studio, and Collins performance more than compensates for any warmth that has been lost along the way; she finds enough joy and tragedy in these songs (many readily familiar to folk enthusiasts) to give them new life despite often being centuries old. Ian Kearey and his musicians have lent Collins exemplary support, adding to the gravity and atmosphere of the songs while never intruding on the vocals. And the closing track, Crowlink, is a true surprise, a droning experimental piece married to a distant yet powerful vocal that honors her gifts while putting them in a fresh, original context. Lodestar was a joyous reminder that Shirley Collins hadnt truly gone away. Hearts Ease goes further, revealing shes still a vital performer and an artist willing to explore new and unfamiliar territory, suggesting a more interesting future than listeners might have imagined. ~ Mark Deming