In this digital age it’s quite unusual for me to physically buy music – the convenience of consuming music in a format best-suited to how I use it seems most sensible. But it is good to get your mits on a CD – be it from an infrequent browse in Fopp – or, like yesterday, sent to you directly from the artist with a nice inscription on the sleeve (admittedly as a result of a high-tech PayPal payment sent to them).
So that’s how I came to possess Nick Burbridge and Tim Cotterell’s acoustic album ‘Gathered’.
Found out about through Facebook, ordered via PayPal (the first to order, too!) but a nostalgic CD-through-the-post delivery. I first got into Nick’s music through McDermott’s 2 Hours, and I first got into McDermott’s 2 Hours because the Levellers covered one of their songs (Dirty Davey) – and subsequently collaborated with him for album releases too. Songwriter, poet and beguiler Nick has a real gift, as clearly does Tim Cotterell who provides the instrumentals.
So the first job was to rip to iTunes which I did last night – and have now had a chance to sit and listen, and I love it. Relaxed acoustic numbers that offer such catchy melodies and expressive vocals coupled with intricate and evocative lyrics – it’s lovely. After only a couple of listens I’m very much sold – The Monkey and Sister Mercy stand out for me, along with the deliciously dismissive Snake in the Grass. Definitely something you should check out.
Even better, there’s a McDermott’s 2 Hours album in the offing, too – what a bumper crop 2012 promises to have (new Levellers album due, too!).
Available from – www.burbridgearts.org – www.levellers.co.uk – www.spiralearth.co.uk – and selected retail outlets from 17th March 2012
Alan Fisher 
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