Awkward Annie | 
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| Artist: Kate Rusby
Label: PURE
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $11.73
You Save: $6.25 (35%)
New (29) Used (9) from $10.99
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 5901
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
EAN: 5060066680061
ASIN: B000TKODDQ
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new and factory sealed. Most orders shipped within 24 hours directly from our warehouse.
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| Tracks:
| • | Awkward Annie - Kate Rusby, Rusby, K. | | • | Bitter Boy - Kate Rusby, Rusby, K. | | • | John Barbury - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | High on a Hill - Kate Rusby, Rusby, K. | | • | Farewell - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | Planets - Kate Rusby, Rusby, K. | | • | The Old Man - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | Andrew Lammie - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | Streams of Nancy - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | Daughter of Heaven - Kate Rusby, Rusby, K. | | • | Blooming Heather - Kate Rusby, Traditional | | • | The Village Green Preservation Society - Kate Rusby, Davies, Ray |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
2007 album from the UK's most popular female Folk artist, her seventh album overall. Features guest appearances from Eddi Reader, Ian Carr, John McKusker, Leon Hunt and others. Pure.
Album Details
The Eagerly Awaited 2007 Album from One of the UK'S Most Popular, Acclaimed and Important Young Folk Singer. This is her First Album Since Winning the Mercury Music Prize in 2006 for "Best Live Act" and after Contributing Heavily to the First Solo Album by Idlewild Singer Roddy Woomble, "my Secret is My Science". Features Guest Appearances from Eddi Reader, John Mccusker, Ian Carr, Andy Cutting and Many Other Fine Musicians. The Set Includes a Bonus Track, her Rendition of the Kinks' "The Village Green Preservation Society", which Serves as the Theme to the French and Saunders BBC Comedy Series "Jam and Jerusalem" (Known as "Clatterford" on BBC America). One of the Biggest Folk Releases of the Year.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Traditional sounding folk tunes November 26, 2008
I found this indirectly, after falling in love with a Poozies CD (Raise Your Head--really great!), and learning that Kate Rusby was one of the singers on it. The style of music is not as varied as the Poozies' repertoire, but this CD is great if you're in the mood for traditional sounding English folk songs.
Kate's Finest November 20, 2008
I just love Kate Rusby's pure, simple style. I've been a fan of hers since my husband bought me "Underneath the Stars" on a whim. "Awkward Annie" is Kate's best album so far, and one that I could listen to all day long. It ranges from heartbreaking ("Bitter Boy", "Daughter of Heaven") to impish ("The Old Man") to calm and strong ("Planets", my favorite track). I hope she keeps singing for a long, long time.
You have to hear this incredible singer October 30, 2008
I have just discovered Kate Rusby and am completely hooked. I heard her first singing the theme music for Jam & Jerusalem. Her voice is so pure and the Yorkshire Accent just adds to the charm. My favourites so far (from other albums) are 'Falling" and ,You Belong to Me'
Not to be missed!
Kate's beauty not fading with familiarity October 21, 2008
Kate has done it again, made a beautiful record. As my queen of folk music, Kate has once again not strayed from what she does best: used her angelic, lilting voice to bless beautiful though simple string arrangements (though not simple enough that I could ever hope to play them). This is Kate's first self-produced album, and she obviously knows what has worked for her on past albums and stays within that comfortable and warm song tradition that pulls me more and more towards her CDs in my collection. She's seemingly structured the melodies in just the right keys as to tap in to that magical special-something that happens right at the break in her voice when she slips over into her airy falsetto, just stunning.
My only complaint about this album is that I feel like Kate's voice is a little too low in the mix, maybe as a result of her producing herself and maybe feeling some small amount of self-consciousness about her own voice (just a guess). I'll just need to sit down with the liner notes to catch the lyrics that I'm not hearing as clearly as I might like.
I suspect, as with most of her other albums, that over time the melodies will seep into my subconscious so that eventually these songs will feel like I've always known them. That's when they somehow transport me to some "other country" where angels dare to tread. "Modern music" has got nothing on our wonderful little lassie Kate. God bless you, Kate. Keep up the wonderful work. PS Please tour in the USA someday. :)
(4.5 STARS) THIS YORKSHIRE LASS WILL TRANSPORT YOU TO THE ELYSIAN FIELDS OF ENGLISH (AND SCOTTISH) FOLK MUSIC June 30, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I'm familiar with some of Kate Rusby's earlier music because she gets airplay, from time to time, on BBC radio folk music programmes - but this is her only album that I have. 'Awkward Annie' seems to follow an established pattern - a seamless mix of self-penned original songs and traditional songs from the British Isles.
THE VOCALS : KR's voice is difficult to describe (but I'll try). If you took away the American accent and country twang from Dolly Parton's vocals, and replaced it with a decidedly Yorkshire-English accent, you'd get something which comes close to KR's vocal style (listen to how she pronounces words like 'come', 'money', or 'love'). Depending upon the song, her vocals oscillate between dainty delicacy and haunting poignancy. As with Sandy Denny, her voice has an innate quality to make clocks stand still; even though Kate's alto is higher up the scale than Sandy's, I think she sings with a little more warmth. Sandy Denny had folk vibrato 'down to a fine art' and KR also uses this technique, but not quite as frequently; and, when the song demands it, KR adds a touch of understated humour to her delivery. Three songs feature some outstanding harmony vocals courtesy of Joe Rusby, Eddi Reader and Chris Thile (ex. Nickel Creek). 'Blooming Heather' ('Wild Mountain Thyme') includes vocals from operatic tenor John Hudson - you'll have to decide for yourself about the inclusion of his vocals, but I thought they sounded rather out of place.
THE SONGS : Some are melancholic, with a few conveying a real sense of loss. However, there are three or four songs with a much lighter and/or humorous mood. Many songs have a distinct 'English' character, but 'John Barbury' (var. 'Willie O Winsbury'), 'Andrew Lammie' and 'Blooming Heather' are traditional Scottish songs; whilst 'High On The Hill' has a Bluegrass influence. The second half of the album contains a couple of real 'tear jerkers' - 'Andrew Lammie' and 'Daughter of Heaven'.
THE PLAYING : The playing by the session and guest musicians is nothing short of exemplary. Instruments featured include : acoustic guitars, banjo, violins and several other stringed instruments, piano and harmonium, accordion, flute and traditional brass band instruments. The music is, essentially, semi-acoustic - only one track has electric guitar and only one other has percussion. Many songs have short instrumental bridges (something which I haven't noticed with KR's earlier music); notable performances come from, amongst others, Ian Carr (guitar), Chris Thile (mandolin), Leon Hunt/Andy Seward (banjo) and Donald Shaw (piano & harmonium) - also, John McCusker's continuing influence should not be overlooked.
Highlights for me were : 'Awkward Annie' and 'High On a Hill' - both up-tempo songs with lilting melodies and fine playing (and some super harmony vocals on the latter); 'The Bitter Boy' and 'Daughter of Heaven' -two haunting songs with poignant lyrics; 'John Barbury' - a traditional song featuring some beautiful piano and flute playing; 'The Old Man' - I liked this song for it's humour, it's about an accident prone farmer whose animals ('Tidy the Cow', 'the littlest pigs', and the 'speckledy hen') seemingly conspire to give him a hard time.
This is a fine album indeed. Although the music/production has a contemporary veneer, it is still very much folk music in a neo-traditional style - it isn't folk-rock, so don't expect something along the lines of Fairport Convention or Steeleye Span. It's easy to understand why other reviewers give 'Awkward Annie' 5 stars; but, purely from a subjective point of view, I feel the album's balance would have benefitted from the inclusion of a couple more songs with a lighter mood. Additionally, I thought the harmony vocals were exceptionally good, and a little more of these would have lent some extra texture to the music. Nevertheless, highly recommended for all lovers of British folk music; fans of Sandy Denny and The Wailin' Jennys might want to 'give this a twirl' also - 4.5 stars.
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