It seems the trees have deep roots over in Canada. Deep roots like in roots music. Every so often a great roots/Americana artists crop up from there, as is the case with Jason Haywood from New Brunswick. Folklore is his third album, of which one was with his then band The Divorcees. Those more familiar with Haywood might come a bit surprised with what he has come up with here, since his previous outings were more of a straightforward country affairs, albeit good ones, since The Divorcees album even won prizes in Canada.
On the other hand, Folklore is no modern country, but exactly what the title says - old 19th-century stories put to songs, from murder ballads on. While Haywood’s voice in no way resembles Nick Cave’s baritone, the tone, atmosphere, and the way they are presented to the modern listeners, are and actually can stand tall compared to Cave’s output. In saying that Haywood’s voice does not resemble Cave’s it is no way intended as demeaning, as his voice is clear and mellifluous and Haywood seems to easily adapt to all the stories he is telling, making them intriguing and believable.
Another reason why Folklore works is that Haywood and his cooperators, particularly producer Dale Murray (worked with another exemplary Canadian act, The Guthries) did not fall into the trap of either oversimplifying the arrangements (just voice and a guitar), or overcomplicating them, striking the right balance of what is needed to support Haywood’s voice and the tale its telling. It spans the range from folkloric, or shall I say rustic with some deft touches (Elegy) to understated piano/string arrangements (Lost And Foregone) that give the songs exactly what they need.
The overall tone seems quite gentle, but there is always a scary undercurrent running under that really shows the true nature what is going on in these musical tales (Poor Edward). Making an album, a song cycle that re-hashes old folk tales is a dangerous thing - you run the risk of making either yet another archive piece or re-doing the songs beyond recognition, losing the scope of what you really set out to do. Jason Haywood, jumps quite easily over both of these hurdles and comes up with a listenable, scary album. True folklore.
