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The Living Tradition _________________ SOURCE Scottish CONTENT INSTRUMENTS
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ANDREW CADIE - The Snow Tree |
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Berwick-on-Tweed born Andrew Cadie is a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist now based in Germany, where he's one half of the Broom Bezzums duo with Mark Sinclair. ‘The Snow Tree' is his first solo recording, and has a natural and spontaneous feel. Andrew wrote all but three of the tracks, which convey a strong sense of ‘place' - the English North Country. His songs sound timeless and authentic. He really impresses as a multi-instrumentalist, playing fiddle, guitar, Northumbrian pipes, whistle, trumpets, bass and percussion. He's overdubbed a few tracks with a range of additional instrumentation, but several feature just voice, fiddle and/or guitar. The spacious arrangements ensure a relaxed, confident atmosphere. ‘If You Should Be' is a gentle song accompanied by a lyrical guitar tune, and it's well suited to Andrew's pleasing voice. The more soulful songs like 'Widow's Walk' with its fiddle/pipe/trumpet arrangement, or the tender ‘Lilting Lullabies' seem to reveal Andrew's musicality at its best. The rousing ‘Swept Astray' perhaps best highlights his multi-instrumental skills – the fiddle leads the way beautifully, enlivened by trumpet, percussion, and Northumbrian pipes. The three instrumental tunes are nicely constructed and convey great attention to detail and melody. Lilting title track ‘The Snow Tree' was inspired by a memory of a childhood autumn walk in Berwick-on-Tweed. It gains momentum as ‘Atlantic Storm Reel' sweeps in. You can also hear Andrew in the folk trio Roll a Penny (with Katie Docherty and Roger Purves). On the strength of this album alone, they must be well worth checking out. Incidentally, Andrew Cadie was one of the first students to graduate from the Newcastle Folk Degree course last summer. He's a musician with an ear for a finely tuned melody – his playing is both sensitive and crafted, and the album's a grower. These soulful, evocative, lyrically convincing songs sit very comfortably within the English folk genre. Debbie Koritsas
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