{"product_id":"where-two-hawks-fly","title":"Where Two Hawks Fly","description":"\u003cp\u003ecottish-born singer songwriter\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSam Grassie\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehas had a rocky journey in recent years, with a car accident resulting in serious injury and a debilitating ME diagnosis, as well as familial tragedy. All of this hindered but did not halt a promising musical career that was ignited when Sam was a child, secretly listening in on his family’s living room sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSam’s recovery saw him relocate to London in 2022 and immerse himself in the folk scene there, as well as sharing bills and stages with a wide range of musicians, from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eRyley Walker, with whom he toured the UK, to Martin Carthy,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eGwenifer Raymond\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand Robert Plant. This led to a series of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP releases, before Sam eventually put together\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhere Two Hawks Fly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, his debut album, consisting of eleven traditional songs and one original, the lovely, lightly sung\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLighthouse Keeper\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(Sam considers his vocal quality fairly mediocre, an opinion proven incorrect throughout this set).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever! What is apparent when listening to this excellent, modestly appointed debut album is a high level of guitar playing. Sam is a guitar enthusiast and has been inspired by several heavyweights over the years. Still, the main man is Bert Jansch (previously featured on KLOF; his trio with Iona Zajac and Herbie Loening was called\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvocet\u003c\/strong\u003e). Sam’s playing is up there with Jansch’s and his contemporaries, with an unshowy yet deft approach to the strings that sees solid melodic playing combine with subtle tricks, bringing a real quality to these songs that his fellow players match.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is evident straight away on opening instrumental number\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eKishor’s\u003c\/em\u003e, a beautifully played technical melody bolstered by light flutes from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTom Grassie\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConor Cunningham\u003c\/strong\u003e. The traditional murder ballad\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePut the Blood\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ehails from Ireland, but I first heard a version of it as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eHenry\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eon Fay Hield’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eOrfeo\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ealbum. Here, Sam uses an insistent acoustic guitar line that\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlfie Jones\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eslices through with electric guitar, and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHerbie Loening\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003epins it down with some lovely double bass playing. Sam’s voice fits the serious nature of the piece perfectly, with its low, modest burr.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsewhere, his version of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eDave Goulder’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSandwood\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e(John Renbourn’s take is probably best known) is a beauty, with a nippy guitar line introducing Sam’s low, clear vocal, here with unexpected hints of Johnny Cash. Higher backing vocals from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLilith Chinn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvice Caro\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eadd vocal dimensions across the whole album, here bringing an eerie quality to the song, underpinned by winding flute lines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collaborators on the album are key to its overall sound, even if the touches are light throughout; listen to the delicacy of the clarsach from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIona Zajac\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand the sax from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNathan Pigott\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eon the lively instrumental\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eOrchy Falls\u003c\/em\u003e. Each musician is there to add subtle notes to the songs, but, quite poignantly, they also played a part in helping Sam get back on track and in a place to make this assured album — and he repays them in kind, giving each the room to breathe. That\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhere Two Hawks Fly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexists at all is remarkable; that it sounds this assured and this generous is something else entirely. - Glenn Kimpton \/ KLOF mag\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Monorail Music","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":53572492132694,"sku":"MRM-05168","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/6088\/9430\/files\/568bd68988189ea6bbc2268a98c527c2.jpg?v=1778415822","url":"https:\/\/monorailmusic.com\/products\/where-two-hawks-fly","provider":"Monorail Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}