The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #48

Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon engrossing websites and hear wonderful new music. This is my chance to bring you carefully curated recommendations of all the best I’ve experienced – every Sunday. If it’s folk, or independent, or about wildlife, nature or Orkney, I may love it, and so may you.

Laeverick by Laeverick

Laeverick are a band from Shetland and Orkney and their new self-titled album contains eleven original songs inspired by Shetland, its people, music, land and sea. If there have to be genres, then it’s an album of Americana flavours, featuring three-part harmonies and great musicianship. The band are:

Jenny Keldie – vocals, keyboard, fiddle 
Erik Laughton – drums 
Mhari McLeman – vocals 
Ivor Polson – bass, mandolin 
Jack Robertson – pedal steel, double bass 
Rhonda Simpson – vocals 
Trevor Smith – guitar 

It’s an upbeat affair, with constant joy from the three-part harmonies. My favourite is Feet Fly, whose sleeve-notes say “Throw caution to the wind”. After listening to it, I just might. Jennie Keldie on vocals, keyboards and fiddle is someone I first saw perform in 2013 as part of Westray Connections and I bought her album, First Light, with Brian Cromarty:

First Light

I’ve seen Laeverick perform a couple of times, firstly at Westray Connections 2019 and lately at Westray Connections 2023. They raised the roof both times, with a set which would have been barnstorming if they were in a barn. They were in a hall, so it was hallstorming. Jack Robertson on pedal steel, or Jackie, as he’s introduced on stage, is a treasure, adding a richness and depth to the sound which lifts the band

Here’s the album teaser, which I hope will tease you enough to visit Laeverick’s Bandcamp page and invest in a wonderful album.

The whole album is a joy and I particularly like the funky arrangement of Friday Night, with classic organ and beautiful backing vocals.

Laeverick is the local name for the Skylark. The band are well named as they sing with the same wild abandon. Highly recommended.

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back with more recommendations of things you might adore next Sunday. In the meantime, I wish you a great week. Keep safe, everyone.

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