Painted Sky - The Unquiet Grave

2021 single

The Unquiet Grave - Painted Sky

the bright young folk review

After the good response to their debut EP Dawn, Painted Sky, namely siblings George and Holly Brandon, released their new single The Unquiet Grave, a very personal rendition of this old favourite dating back at least to the 14th century.

This dark but educational song is delivered on a catchy and pulsating tapestry of open C tuned guitar, with George performing the lyrics and Holly providing a delicate touch with her fiddle and backing vocals. However, the last part of the recording sees Holly’s fiddle taking centre stage with a sinuous and syncopated solo that rounds up the recording in style.

The percussive and pressing rhythm and the well-pondered climaxes and pauses in the arrangement contribute to emphasise this duo’s storytelling talent and underline the positive message of the lyrics, not the anguishing mourning of a lost love, but the encouragement to enjoy and to take the best out of our lives.

Painted Sky have already shown great mastery of traditional material and projecting it in the 21st century, the hope is to see them back into the recording studio soon.

Michele Mele

Released on 2 July 2021

1. The Unquiet Grave

Painted Sky discography