Folk Radio Review
Harriet Riley and Alex Garden – Sonder
Independent – Out Now
Ithink this album might take you by surprise. Sure, you don’t often hear the combination of violin and vibraphone but, trust me, two tracks in and it feels perfectly natural.
Harriet Riley (vibraphone) is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff and Alex Garden (violin and octave violin) hails from Bristol. They met through a connection with Live Music Now, the wonderful organisation founded by Yehudi Menuhin to bring music to people in care and hospital settings. It’s an unexpected combination that feels like folk one minute and jazz the next. The folk root is undoubtedly strong but the vibraphone often makes me think of a Smokey jazz club (yes I am that old). This album was funded by a Kickstarter campaign so they obviously have a fan base that was prepared to back them and I can see and hear why.
This album comprises all original compositions. The jazz inflection suggests a willingness to be daring and experimental and this is also reflected in the strange choice of titles. All are single word titles from the dustier shelves of the English language, such as ‘Vellichor’ which, apparently is the “strange wistfulness of bookshops”, along with the occasional dip into other European languages. It all adds an interesting dimension to the collection.
‘Wolkenkratzer’ is a strange piece that veers from classical to folk via jazz and has delightful double bass from Stevie Toddler. This is in contrast to the title track, ‘Sonder’ with its skittish rhythm in which the vibraphone really punches its weight, often taking the lead. ‘Shivelights’ has what seems to my ear to be a 5/4 tempo in the middle that you don’t often hear in folk. Similarly, the sound of the octave violin is new to me and featured beautifully in ‘Vignette’.
If you want a taste of just how adventurous these talented musicians can be, then check out the videos on FB and Youtube to see the adventurous ways Harriet uses her instrument, using a bow and coaxing strange harmonics from the vibraphone on the tune ‘Phosphenes’ (which, since you asked, are the bright colours generated when you rub your eyes). A demanding listen but fascinating nonetheless.
I think you will be lucky to see them toting a vibraphone to a folk club (I may be wrong there) but on an arts centre or festival stage, they will do very well indeed. This is compelling and beautiful music. If you have an adventurous side to your nature this CD will reward you well.
https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2020/12/harriet-riley-and-alex-garden-sonder