My expectations were high for this gig. I first heard of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset when I was researching ‘wyrd’ folk, and stumbled across a mention of them as I was surfing around. I was initially attracted by the name, assuming ‘Unthank’ to be a clever pseudonym – but apparently it’s a real surname. Then just days later, I saw an ad for the group’s Australian tour in the local streetpress. There was something about this photo which piqued my interest – the image shows four young women, wearing unreadable expressions, dressed rather anachronistically, sitting or standing in a dimly lit Victorian parlour – very Wilkie Collins. Withhout having heard a note of the group’s music, I wanted to see them live. A hyperbolic review from Paul Morley also made me sit up and take notice.
The band play a kind of minimalist, spectral (on record anyway), deeply English folk music, and the unusual lineup (just vocals, electronic piano, viola, cello – no guitar or drums) brings the haunting qualities to the fore.
The band opened with ‘On a Monday Morning’, which perfectly captured that feeling we’ve all felt of going dispiritedly to work at the start of the week, and wondering where the weekend went. Other highlights included beautiful covers of Nick Drake’s ‘River Man’ and Robert Wyatt’s ‘Sea Song’. Sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank shared centre stage and vocal duties, and they were ably backed by Niopha Keegan on fiddle and vocals, and Stephanie Conner on keyboards and vocals. There was a breezy informality and naturalness to the singers’ good-natured banter, and there was some amusing ribbing of bandmates on the subject of high-heels (said shoes being an important part of a Winterset gig, as they were used for percussion at various points.) We were also treated to a display of traditional clog-dancing by the two sisters – now that’s something you don’t see every day…!
The band were deservedly called back for an encore, and finished the evening with a lovely accapella piece sung in Gaelic, ‘The Unst Boat Song’.
[At time of writing, they’re still on tour in Australia – so if you’re quick, you might still catch them.]
Ewan Burke
