Megson - Take Yourself A Wife

This, Megson’s third full-length CD, sees them stripped of unnecessary bombast and the result is both fresh and mature. Their voices are each accomplished and full of personality and together they share a special chemistry.

Love and Justice are the predominant themes. Unlike many of their contemporaries who seem to revel in it, there is very little gruesomeness here. Instead they go directly for the heart with songs like Little Joe. It’s a genuine and touching song about a job taking you away from your loved ones. An all too familiar situation for a folk musician and one that many of us can relate to.

The other recurring theme of the record is social justice. The Oakey Strike Evictions is a protest song against the bailiffs who evicted the striking miners. There a shot at sweatshop labour on Fourpence a Day and The New Fish Market marries an up tempo tune with a tale of the rise and decline of a local economy. In comparison, the title track is jaunty and lightweight and as such feels a little out of place.

As can be expected from the guy that produced the recent Faustus and Benji Kirkpatrick CDs, this sounds first class. The guitars, when they take centre stage are full, bright and clear.

This is folk music in it’s truest sense. It’s steeped in tradition but addresses the issues that people face every day. As a result it’s fresh, brave, confident and very relevant now.