Alasdair Roberts

The Amber Gatherers (Drag City)

By Jonathan Shipley
Published: February 9th, 2007 | 3:54pm

Tip back a pint. Be amongst friends here in a tavern amongst the wilds of Scotland. Knock the mud off those boots upon the bar stool. Take off your coat. Stay awhile. Alasdair Roberts is playing and you’re feeling all the better for it.

Roberts, a Scottish singer/songwriter, is quietly building a following with his rootsy organic folk music of the British Isles. He’s toured with the vastly talented the Decemberists and the warbling, harp-playing Joanna Newsom. He’s recorded some great albums, including No Earthly Man, released in 2005. You haven’t heard it? Mesmerizing quiet takes on eight classic murder ballads. Yes, that’s right, murder ballads (and classic ones at that, which begs the question – how many murder ballads are there?).

Well, with The Amber Gatherers,/I> he’s lightened up some. In fact, he’s downright giddy with his collection of eleven tracks, and he’s spruced up the instrumentation as well, with guitar, banjos, dulcimers, accordions and more. Sure, he still likes the darker parts of us like in “The Cruel War” (“Before the cruel war was on I was so strong / Now I am gaunt and drawn, now I am dying”), but he’s also a little optimistic and warm even — like in his song “Where Twines the Path” (“Where the stage locks antlers and give joyous bellow / If the path should lead me there, I’ll gladly follow / I will gladly follow”).

Know this though, for those new to Roberts’ musical stylings, it’s full-bore British Isles folk music. Don’t expect some synthesized dance beat in the background like something Björk might create. Don’t expect a guest vocal by Ja Rule. It’s folk music, not gussied up, and not produced to be jibber jabbering on MTV. Which, honestly, is rather refreshing these days. Where’s the honest music, anyway? Where’s tradition? It just might be in a tavern in the wilds of Scotland where you’re amongst friends, where you’re embraced by the warm mellifluous melodies of Roberts.