Music / Reviews
Review: Bella Hardy, Folk House – ‘Heavenly, rogueish and playful’
“I promised my friend that you’d get a set of feminist bangers” Bella Hardy chuckles, having just told everyone that You Don’t Owe the World Pretty.
It’s a song that she wrote for her niece, when she was very little, and perfectly combines everything that is glorious about Edale’s favourite fiddle-playing daughter.
It’s folky enough for traditionalists, pop enough for the foot-tappers, it’s witty and charming, strong and heartfelt. It’s beautifully played and wonderfully sung. It is fabulous.
is needed now More than ever
And so, as Hardy’s set unfolds, the promised “feminist bangers” unfold too. Both The Queen of Carter’s Bar and Sylvie Sovay are reframings of folk standards, swinging the point of view to the women of the story.
Hardy easily inhabits both characters, there’s sass and fury, resignation and amusement. Her voice conveys it all, at times as pure as heaven itself, at others she is roguish and playful. You almost feel that the spirit of Kirsty MacColl is hovering close by, such is the combination of deft songwriting and a beautiful voice.
Joining Hardy for both of her short sets is Jenn Butterworth, multi-folk award winning acoustic guitar player and founding member of Kinnaris Quintet. She adds a buzzing, percussive drive to many of the songs this evening.
On a set of tunes, that guitar spins Hardy’s fiddle to greater and greater heights, until there are stamping feet and whoops all around. On Sprig of Thyme she sets up a little groovy swish, a satisfied hum that allows Hardy a joyous hand jive.
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Butterworth isn’t the only guest though. In the second half, Bristol’s Danny Wallington joins on piano, twinkling away on The Navigator’s Bride, pulling a pastoral blanket of green around Summer Daylight, Winter Darkness and transforming the country waltz of Walk it With You into a scuffed jazz bar.
It is, however, Bella Hardy’s voice that remains the highest of highlights. For the traditional Low Down in the Broom she sits on the lip of the stage, unaccompanied and unamplified. The room holds its breath as she tells her tale; the perfect folk performance, it is slightly raw, achingly honest, jaw droppingly beautiful.
For The Herring Girl she is fierce and brave, slashing away at the words with a silk covered knife. Then, on latest single One Day at a Time, she is rom-com sweetness and intensely emotional.
BBC Folk Singer of the Year Hardy was joined by Scots Trad Musician of the Year Jen Butterworth and Bristol’s Danny Wallington on keys
Late in the second set she plays My Johnny is a Shoemaker, from her last album Love Songs. Butterworth, Wallington and Hardy kick up their heels; piano, guitar and fiddle frisking away, finding utter delight in the wonder of three friends playing together.
As it finishes Hardy, slightly breathless, says: “folk music, it’s quite fun”.
Fun and feminist? Oh yes! Bella Hardy is both of those things.
All images: Gavin McNamara
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