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A DAVID KIDMAN REVIEW FOR ACOUSTIC ROTHERHAM

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CHRIS MILNER

FOUR FIELDS MEET

Chris Milner – FOUR FIELDS MEET (Own Label CJM. 004)

Those who know Chris’s music from his three earlier album releases The Rubicon, Buried Treasure and Clear Thinking From The North will not be surprised to find that their sequel Four Fields Meet is another mostly very consistent set of self-penned songs characterised by plain-spoken ideas and sincerity of expression. In fact I think it’s very probably his strongest release yet.

Over thirty years of performing and songwriting, Chris has largely remained within the same basic template: a tried-and-tested, timeless singer-songwriter styling (rather reminiscent of Allan Taylor, I’ve sometimes thought) that concentrates on the direct, honest portrayal of sentiments which are universal.

That’s not to say Chris’s writing has no specific national or regional identity, however, for some of his best songs have taken their original inspiration from local places or occurrences. Yet Chris tends to sing in a kind-of all-purpose mid-Atlantic accent, which has, I hear, to some extent (for some listeners) got in the way of greater appreciation of his songwriting. Four Fields Meet finds Chris sticking with the basic approach which has hitherto served him well, so his fans won’t be disappointed. And as before, some of the finest of the songs on display are those which derive their inspiration from a deeper response to a location (Heron Pike, Yoden Ways) or a person (the elegant title track, inspired by the work of Filey artist Jane Poulton, which is accorded a brief reprise as bonus track). Having said that,

Chris’s proven gift for somewhat wistful observation and examination of a relationship surfaces on Getting Nowhere With Her, which makes a worthy counterpart to his classic Changing Role Of Woman, with an even better sense of melody (a bit influenced by Ralph McTell perhaps). And the classy and powerfully pensive portrait Fool’s Agenda has the air of both Allan Taylor and Leonard Cohen. Both of those latter tracks benefit additionally from some nicely lyrical musical counterpoint (Matt Crum on sax or Amanda Thompson on flute), while another of the disc’s strongest songs, Back In The Limelight, boasts some really fine fiddle playing from rising star Rebekah Findlay(of One Stone).

Elsewhere, Chris and his accomplished, attractively plain-speaking guitar are left to their own devices and communicate with admirable clarity, helped and lifted too by the keen sense of presence imparted by Brian Bedford’s typically excellent (and understanding) production.

As before, the menu contains just one non-original, on which Chris proves himself an inventive interpreter of traditional material; here he quite naturally combines Going For A Soldier with Lancashire Lads – and incidentally drops the American accent!…

While again as before, there’s one of Chris’s songs that sticks out from the rest somewhat and doesn’t quite fit: here it’s Numbers Game, a rather obvious commentary on the tickbox mentality (annoyingly prevalent everywhere you turn nowadays!) which just comes across as glib and inevitably wears less well on repeated hearing (it’s also saddled with some busy, mildly intrusive effects touches).

That blip aside, the disc flows well and is a credit to Chris’s still-developing craft.

www.chrismilner.com and www.myspace.com/chrismilnerpaderevski

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