Here's the Tender Coming

by The Unthanks

Overview

It could have been commercial suicide. In the wake of a breakthrough success, Rachel Unthank & the Winterset have not only changed the band's name to the more encompassing and curate the Unthanks, they've also made huge personnel changes. It's certainly not a strategy a marketing man would recommend, but this is a band that's always been about the art, not the commercial success. The basis remains folk music from the Northeast of England, and the fuller sound of a nine-piece band changes the backing and fills it out splendidly, with bass and drums giving a firm foundation. The focus on the singing of sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank is, if anything, firmer than before, and nowhere is that clearer than on the harrowing "The Testimony of Patience Kershaw," about child labor in the Victorian mines, or the heartbreaking beauty of the traditional "Annachie Gordon." However, although there's plenty of gloom and doom on this disc, it's leavened by some lighter spots, such as "Betsy Belle." For the most part, it works, the only real failure coming with a cover of Lal Waterson's "At First She Starts," a piece so personal that outsiders trying to find a way into it are largely doomed -- but it's a brave attempt, and says a lot about the scope and confidence of the group. Musically, there's much greater richness and variety in the arrangements now, heightening the shadings that have always been there, and bringing them to the fore, while also making it easier for a wider audience. ~ Chris Nickson

Product Details

Release Date:	09/22/2023
Label:	Rabble Rouser Music
UPC:	0844493093053
Rank:	132932

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Unthanks   Primary Artist
Chris Price   Marimba,Ukulele,Dulcitone,Vocals (Background),Bass,Guitar
Adrian McNally   Vocals (Background),Plucked Piano,Tubular Bells,Drums,Piano,Marimba,Autoharp
Jenny Chang   Violin
Iona Brown   Violin
Neil Harland   Double Bass
Dan Rogers   Bowed Double Bass
Jo Silverston   Cello,Soloist
Rachel Unthank   Cello,Clogs,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Becky Unthank   Vocals,Autoharp,Vocals (Background)
Niopha Keegan   Violin,Vocals,Mandolin,Accordion,Vocals (Background)
Julian Sutton   Melodeon
Jane Pollinger   Vocals (Background)
Andre Swanepoel   Violin
Simon Tarrant   Trumpet
Graham Hardy   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Shelley Thomson   Vocals (Background)
Chris Hibbard   Trombone
Adam Sinclair   Drums,Cymbals
Mike Gerrard   Viola

Technical Credits

Chris Price   Arranger
Denis Blackman   Mastering
Traditional   Composer
Lal Waterson   Composer
Ewan MacColl   Composer
McNally   Arranger
Anne Briggs   Composer
Adrian McNally   Mastering,String Arrangements,Mixing,Composer,Producer
Oliver Knight   Composer
Rachel Unthank   Arranger
Becky Unthank   Arranger
Frank Higgins   Composer
The Unthanks   Arranger,Composer
Darren Hall   Mixing
Steve Wainwright   Design
Graeme Miles   Composer
Niopha Keegan   Arranger,String Arrangements
Alex Telfer   Photography
Adam Sinclair   Engineer
Helen Thomas   Design