Lonan - Oddy Locks

Lonan is Evan Davies (fiddle, mandolin, fiddle and vocals), Katy Ryder (whistles, flute, guitars and vocals) and Robin Timmis (guitar, fiddle and vocals). After the success of their first album, this Yorkshire trio is back with Oddy Locks, a new mini album suspended between modern storytelling and traditional sounds.

The album opens with the only instrumental, the title track, a lilting jig inspired by the band’s favourite area of Leeds, a stretch of the canal surrounded by old chimneys. Social commentary is a remarkable reason for the choice of material; songs like Rothwell Debtors Prison, inspired by a real building near Leeds, and Sands of Dover, which tells the story of a Nepalese migrant who dreams of marrying for love and living in a distant country where he feels safe and happy, possibly the most remarkable track on the entire release, underline the trio’s interest for contemporary, and sadly timeless, issues.

The traditional Scottish ballad The Shearing is an ancient story about a woman who suffers for the effects of violence, but manages to rise again; it complements the other tracks, all underpinned by the key themes of resilience and courage in facing adversities.

Social justice, migration, workers’ rights, and gender violence have always been at the core of Lonan’s musical endeavours, but it is in this work that their evocative storytelling reaches full maturity. From old material to modern classics and original lyrics, they vividly depict people and atmospheres with the precision of neo-classical miniatures and the warmth and intimacy of an impressionistic painting.

The fact it is shorter than their previous work is not a problem for the overall result. Oddy Locks is a highly enjoyable and thought-provoking release thanks to the combination of the meticulous choice of the material and the daintiness of the arrangements; true folk music by three young and talented artists.