Songs from the Shipyards

Songs from the Shipyards, the seventh album by English folk group The Unthanks, was released on 5 November 2012. The album is designated Vol. 3 in The Unthanks' Diversions series and follows on from Vol. 1 (The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons), released in November 2011 and Vol. 2 (The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band), released in July 2012.

Songs from the Shipyards
Soundtrack album by
The Unthanks
Released5 November 2012 (2012-11-05) (UK)
GenreFolk music
Film soundtrack
Length41:21
LabelRabble Rouser
ProducerAdrian McNally
The Unthanks chronology
The Unthanks with Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band
(2012)		 Songs from the Shipyards
(2012)		 Mount the Air
(2015)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Observer[1]
Metro[2]
The Independent[3]
Daily Express[4]
The Skinny[5]

It is a studio-recorded album of songs from a soundtrack, compiled by The Unthanks, which was first performed live in February 2011 at Newcastle upon Tyne’s Tyneside Cinema to accompany the showing of a documentary film by Richard Fenwick about the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne, Wear and Tees.[6][7][8][9][nb 1] The album includes a cover version of Elvis Costello's "Shipbuilding" and songs written by Graeme Miles, Alex Glasgow, Archie Fisher, John Tams, Peter Bellamy and Jez Lowe, plus a centrepiece track, "The Romantic Tees", written by Adrian McNally.

The album received four-starred reviews in The Observer, The Independent and Metro.

Reception

In a four-starred review The Observer's Neil Spencer described it as "a stark creation, using little more than piano, violin and voices" but said that its minimalism "lends poignancy to songs and poetry narrating the glory and grime of a vanished era".[1] In another four-starred review, Andy Gill for The Independent referred to "the wistful blend of piano and ambient sounds" on "The Romantic Tees" and Becky Unthank's "soft timbre" and Rachel Unthank's "more ingenuous tone" on "Black Trade" and "A Great Northern River".[3]

However, Jen Bowden for The Skinny felt that it "lacks the buzz of previous Unthanks albums... As a film soundtrack it is an emotive, image-ridden heart-breaker, but as an stand-alone listen it too easily fades, like its ghosts, into the background."[5] And Martin Townsend, writing in the Daily Express, said that "Rachel and Becky Unthank’s admirably prolific output is beginning to count against them a little, as the delicacy of their earlier work gives way to a slightly clichéd earnestness."[4]

Yet John Lewis, in a four-starred review for Metro, appreciated the Unthanks' sisters' "spine-tingling harmony". He said that The Unthanks "conjure a lament for a dying industry without recoursing to empty nostalgia or unearned sentimentality".[2] Rosamund Woodroffe, for Bright Young Folk, admitted that the album can be "slightly more abstract than other release by The Unthanks" but said that "it is beautifully crafted, delicately put together and lovingly performed – a stunning testament to the shipyards".[10]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Romantic Tees (Prelude)"Adrian McNally1:33
2."A Great Northern River"Graeme Miles3:40
3."Black Trade"Jez Lowe4:36
4."Fairfield Crane"Archie Fisher, Bobby Campbell1:52
5."Big Steamers"Rudyard Kipling, Peter Bellamy; arranged by The Unthanks5:19
6."All in a Day"Alex Glasgow3:24
7."The Romantic Tees
I. The Romantic Tees
II. Tyne Slides By
III. The Looking Back Song"
Adrian McNally & Chris Price, Graeme Miles
Alex Glasgow
Johnny Handle		9:43
8."Shipbuilding"Declan McManus, Clive Langer3:46
9."Monkey Dung Man"Jez Lowe2:06
10."Taking on Men"Jez Lowe1:27
11."Only Remembered"John Tams3:55

Total album length = 41:21

Personnel
The Unthanks
  • Rachel Unthank – voice
  • Becky Unthank – voice
  • Niopha Keegan – violin, voice
  • Adrian McNally – piano, harmonium, drum, voice
  • Chris Price – guitar, bass, voice
Additional musicians
  • Keith Hill – vibraphone on "The Romantic Tees"
  • Julian Sutton – melodeon on "The Romantic Tees"

Production

The album was produced by Adrian McNally and engineered by Adrian McNally and Chris D'Adda. The photographs used on the CD sleeve were by Keith Pattison.

Notes
  1. A DVD of the film was included, alongside the compilation CD Archive Treasures 2005–2015, in The Unthanks' Memory Box package released in December 2015.

References
  1. Neil Spencer (28 October 2012). "The Unthanks: Songs from the Shipyards – review". The Observer. London. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  2. John Lewis (7 December 2012). "The Unthanks Diversions Vol 3: Songs From the Shipyards is spine-tingling". Metro. London. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  3. Andy Gill (1 December 2012). "The Unthanks, Diversions Vol 3: Songs from the Shipyards (RabbleRouser)". The Independent. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  4. Martin Townsend (4 November 2012). "CD Review: The Unthanks, Diversions Vol 3: Songs From The Shipyards". Daily Express. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. Jen Bowden (9 November 2012). "The Unthanks – Diversions Volume 3: Songs from the Shipyards". The Skinny. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  6. "Songs from the Shipyards – Full Credits". Richard Fenwick. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  7. Tamzin Lewis (24 February 2011). "Unthanks soundtrack brings life to shipyards film". The Journal. Newcastle upon Tyne. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  8. Tim Adams (27 February 2011). "The Unthanks: 'We're miserable buggers and not afraid of it'". The Observer. London. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  9. Jeff Brown (23 February 2011). "The Unthanks celebrate Tyneside shipbuilding heritage". BBC website. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  10. Rosamund Woodroffe (2012). "Diversions Vol. 3 – Songs from the Shipyards: The Unthanks". Bright Young Folk. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
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