The current retro-folk scene in the United Kingdom is in full bloom with young bands/artists like Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Stornoway, and Bombay Bicycle Band receiving critical acclaim and commercial success. Across the Atlantic, the alt-country “No Depression” movement has been in evidence since the 1990s with Wilco, Son Volt and Whiskeytown. However, a return to folk roots has been less obvious within the alternative rock circles, which is why Nothing by Don’t Ask comes as a startling discovery. Remaining consistently faithful to old school folk-pop of the 1970s, (ala Crosby Stills & Nash) without any tinge of any country flavoring thrown in, Don’t Ask does a bang up job in finding enough different nuances in the folk-pop genre to assemble an intriguing collection of tunes that maintains listener interest throughout its fourteen tracks.
Ironically, the first three songs do not really do the album justice and are probably the weakest links in Nothing. There’s precious little in the opening title track, “Creeks Run Dry” and “Seattle Day” to suggest that there’s anything remotely special about Nothing. To be fair, there is a precocious infectiousness about “Nothing.” The trouble with “Creeks Run Dry” is a cliché and derivative melody, whilst “Seattle Day” has the annoying (and unnecessary) device of the backing vocals echoing every line of the chorus. Thankfully, Don’t Ask gets down to business after these low points and begin to display its promise and potential in well crafted folk-pop that recalls the best of Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bruce Cockburn and Dan Fogelberg. Instrumentation and arrangements are kept to a tasteful minimum in order for the tunes, vocal melody and harmonies to resonate. As old school sentiments dictate, sparkling lead guitar fills enliven proceedings and take the already solid songs a notch higher.
The rest of Nothing can more or less be divided into two broad categories. First, the slow heartfelt folk ballads like “My Heart Is Taken,” “Dream Away,” “The Still Heart Believes,” “The Cold Star Stares,” and “My Memories,” where within a stripped down context the emotional weight is given to lyrics sung from the heart. “Hang on, hold on, you’re not alone…” (“My Heart Is Taken”), “Close your eyes, imagine that’s how dreams are made…” (“Dream Away”), “To practice a dream, will capture a dream, to fracture a dream’s daunting…” (“The Still Heart Believes”), “Oh, she barely even made it, she almost nearly died, and the polio gripped her and it held her crucified…” (“The Cold Star Stares”) and “and my memories will fly on silken wings, and my memories talk of treasured thing…” (My Memories) go some choice couplets.
On the other half of the equation, Don’t Ask provides upbeat material that will have listeners toe tapping and singing along, even if not completely dancing. There’s the bright and catchy “Doubt,” the old English folk flavored “Eye of the Storm,” the rock-infused electric guitar-driven “Real Love,” the jazzy “How Could I Know,” and the midtempo folk-rocking “No One Said Love Was Easy” to provide the counterpoint to keep this album balanced.
Throughout Nothing, Don’t Ask maintains high standards of performance, nothing particularly spectacular or showy but just enough to serve the purposes of the individual songs. Everything is in its rightful place, as it should be with the result being a satisfying contribution to the folk-pop canon.
Review by Kevin Mathews
Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)
