Blair Dunlop - House Of Jacks

It's the end of the Bank Holiday, sob sob sob! Three days of gloating that we didn't have to go to work for three days is over with. Naturally, we're probably all a bit fed up and in need of some musical sustenance to keep us going through the next working week.

Would it surprise you to learn that I have it for you? Of course not. My readership of literally one person knows me by now and realises this.

I'm really massively pleased to be writing about "House of Jacks" which is the second album by Blair Dunlop. First things first, here's the link, so you can go and buy it:

blairdunlop.com/album/house-of-jacks/

thegeneral is a massive folk music fan. I was weaned on 60s and 70s bands like Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. My childhood was spent listening to and learning to sing along with many of the albums that came out around that time, and two parents who were total spod-boxes for anything that had the electric folk sound. One of the stalwarts of the era was Ashley Hutchings, who not only played in Steeleye and Fairport but also was part of The Albion Band and the often forgotten Morris On...albums (these are a total joy).

OK, the reason I'm telling you this is because Blair Dunlop is the son of Ashley and so I guess it was only natural that he too, might find himself on the musical primrose path.

I first heard Blair way back in 2009, singing a cover of "Canadee-I-O" and I was really blown away by his raw talent and energy. His first album proper, "Blight and Blossom" came out in 2012 and really showcased his brilliant musicianship further ("Secret Theatre" is probably one of the best songs of the last couple of years). But today sees the release of "House of Jacks" and it's very very worth a listen, even if you're not strictly speaking a folk fan in the same way that thegeneral is.

It could really have been all too easy for Blair to simply start making "painting by numbers" folk music, there genuinely wouldn't have been anything wrong with that, he'd still be carrying on the great tradition of his father and the people he worked with - but this is a wonderful collection of songs that aren't afraid to experiment slightly and step out of the neat folk bracket - sometimes into more alt-country territory too. Opening track "Somethings Gonna Give Way" is an absolute masterpiece - it totally kicks arse, it sort of sets the precedent for the rest of the album.

There's a great mixture of tracks on here and they rattle along beautifully, the pace slows with "Chain By Design" which is a slow heartbreaker of a number, soulfully sung and wistful in memory - and all of them, apart from the final song are penned by Blair himself (the last track "Song of Two Bridges" - again, another slow heart-breaker was written by Ashley Hutchings and Ken Nicol - another former Steeleye member).

There's a real feeling of fusing the old and new throughout the album, but also a sense that folk has a way forward with Blair's music. Self respecting electric folk fans should love it, newcomers to the genre will relish the opportunity to lower themselves into a beautifully constructed set of songs. If you're as passionate about this sort of music as I am, please give it a go and give Blair your support.