Jason Steel - Baby, Wolves Abound [Rif Mountain - 2010]‘Baby, Wolves Abound’, the third EP from Jason Steel, helps prove that first impressions can be deceptive. His deft fingerpicking of ukulele, banjo or hand-made acoustic guitar presents a fine line in unadorned traditional American folk balladry. Meanwhile, over the course of six out of the eight songs, the melodious sweetness in Steel’s voice is offset, like many before him, by a subtle drawl that maybe indicates an American that has chugged the occasional whisky. The combined effect reminds of contemporary fellow travellers who continue to stop by and pay respect to the roots of rock music like the sparser tracks by Will Oldham or even Mark Lanegan. So it was with some surprise to learn that Jason Steel, despite the authenticity of his Americana, is a Yorkshireman now living in London. He is, in fact, part of The Owl Service that, along with the likes of The Memory Band, revive once more the English folk revival of the sixties and seventies to remind a new generation of its wholesome yet slightly eerie nature that, for many, was first encountered on children’s television of the time or while watching The Wicker Man. In light of this, Steel’s Appalachian evocations start to make more sense as this antecedent of old-time country and bluegrass was itself formed in the late 18th Century by blending the traditional musics of English, Scottish and Irish immigrants with the banjo of African-American slaves and later the blues.
At a little over twenty minutes the EP acts as a taster to Steel’s craft that provides a respite from more modern and complex electronic excursions. While possibly too traditional for seekers of new thrills, ‘Baby, Wolves Abound’ acts as a timely reminder of the raw beauty and rich harmonics that can be carved by one finger, one thumb and one voice.
   Russell Cuzner
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