(2020) Ma Polaine's Great Decline - City of Love


Review:
Following on from the 2018 release of The Outsider, a reference to the Camus novel, Ma Polaine’s Great Decline continue a Gallic theme with the arrival of their third album City of Love. As with its predecessor, this latest offering is also an album to be relished, and the refreshing individuality of the music continues to be a hallmark to be savoured. After meeting in 2010, when Clinton Hough joined Beth Packer‘s soul band, the pair began writing together, a partnership which resulted in the birth of Ma Polaine’s Great Decline. Since then they have self-released three EPs and two albums, seen several line-up changes and toured the UK, building a loyal fan base in the process. In 2015 they were nominated as an emerging artist in the British Blues Awards for the album Got Me Out of Hell. Recorded at the duo’s home studio with additional production and mix by John Gallen, (Queen, Osibisa, Motorhead), the sonic production values on the CD display evidence of painstakingly fastidious attention to detail on all 11 original tracks, a feature replicated across the wonderful artwork from Annie Taylor, and the design by Scarlett Rickard. On this album, Beth, vocals, double bass, harmonica and accordion, and Clinton, guitars, are joined once again by Pete Flood, (Oysterband & Bellowhead) on drums and percussion, along with Martin Elliott (Michael Nyman Band), who provides bass guitar on two tracks. The textures created by what might appear a sparse range of instrumentation, however, are superbly layered, often creating delicate threads underscoring Beth’s beguiling vocals. The pair have obviously not stood still over the past couple of years, and City Of Love sees them pushing the musical envelope even further with even more diverse sounds.  The opening track, Volcano is a wonderful slice of upbeat, Americana-like sunshine. The jauntiness of the music, however, belies the fact that the song was inspired by the only negative review of their previous album. Subtlety, rather than vitriol, proves to be a far more effective weapon, and the listener can only empathise with

‘But I can’t be anyone but me
I can’t write any songs but these
I cannot move about this earth
Always trying to prove my worth.’

This track is also the second single taken from the release, and the accompanying video below, beautifully filmed on the Isle of Sheppey and Whitstable’s Seasalter is also a highly recommended watch. A similarly upbeat vibe continues with Morphine, the first single from the album.  Possibly best left to the duo to explain…”Ever been artificially numbed from the waist down, 24 hours awake with no food, and all the mind-blowing hormones a person can produce? Morphine relives all the surreal and unreal thoughts of a time just like that. What Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was for LSD, this one is for childbirth.”  Not your run-of-the-mill subject matter then?  But then, in many ways, this is the essence and one of the great strengths of MPGD, the off-beat, unusual and ‘chose- your-own-antonym for mundane’ that characterises so much of their output. This propensity for the idiosyncratic is also apparent in track 3, Paris Is Burning.  Taking its title from the Jenny Livingstone 1990 documentary of the same name, both are inspired by Dorian Corey, an American trans woman and drag artist.  Following the death of Corey, the mummified remains of a man were found in her closet, the circumstances of which still remain a mystery.  Whilst this more jazz-tinged piece references a narrative of the story it isn’t solely about the body in the wardrobe, rather, it’s a celebration of choice and the ability to express yourself in any way you choose and the freedom to be whoever you are or want to be. Similar themes are evident in The End of the Road, an immense song inspired by friendships within the LGBTQ community and the idea of ‘family’ being a broad church.  Gently opening with Beth’s gorgeous vocals before the added celestial background voices heighten the mood, the overall effect created scores highly on the epic-scale.  This use of overlaid vocals to create a choir-like atmosphere is also employed to great effect on other tracks, namely Wayward Lovers and Fighting To Sleep and marks a fruitful development. Beth’s affinity with Cornwall has, historically, been reflected in aspects of the duo’s musical output, and this pattern continues to an extent with City Of Love, on The Wreck, with its opening crashing chords, plaintive vocals and eerie guitar notes underpinning “the perils of hedonism and drunk fisherman” and the cryptic Ghost Ship.  The latter, however, again underlies the acuity of the song-writing, and how enigmatic and open to interpretation Beth’s lyrics often are. Whilst the jangly Ghost Ship, with its exquisite opening guitar chords, was indeed written whilst staying on a light-house, and it does include nautically themed lyrics it is one of two songs on the album which appear to explore political concepts, in this case, a song seemingly inspired by our “leaders” and the rise of right-wing politics and hate.

“And you’ve got all your big ideas
But no sense to really figure them out
And you’re the one who waves the flag of hate tonight
And you’re the one who fills us full of fear at night.”

Ultimately, however, I read it as a song of hope and optimism.

“And it’s love I’m going to wrap around the world tonight
And you I’m gonna show you all the light.”

We Won’t Let It Be falls into this subject category too.  Inspired by the #metoo movement and the brave women who have spoken out, to whom the duo extend their thanks, this up-tempo jazz-inflected piece gives great value with its tasteful harmonica and cool guitar figures. Whilst various references have already been made to the vocals on the album, it has possibly been a little remiss to have got this far without having commented much on Clinton’s guitar playing.  Suffice to say that it is a vital element in shaping the overall MPGD sound. Whether fully to the fore in the mix, or subtly placed and utilised, very effectively, in a more sparse and spartan way, the oft shimmering sounds are a joy in themselves (absolutely no disrespect to Beth intended here). When discussing Ma Polaine’s Great Decline, valid comparisons have been made to other artists, but to these ears, the reality is that Beth and Clinton offer a unique and fascinating musical proposition in their own right.  It is the often ‘off-beat’ nature of their approach and material referred to above that renders them such an appealing listen, but this only works because of the strength of their music and performance.  Yes, more up-tempo songs are certainly in evidence, but core values are upheld. City of Love is another important forward step in Ma Polaine’s Great Decline’s musical journey and confirms their continuing upward trajectory, an album to be cherished, replete with enchanting musical treats around every corner.





Tracklist:



Media Report:
Genre: indie-folk
Source: CD
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits