Words by Grey Malkin

Yorkshire’s Henry Parker has rapidly (and deservedly) become a hugely respected and recognised figure on the current folk scene, ably traversing the ground between trad, psych and Jack Rose/Davy Graham style fingerpicking. His ‘Lammas Fair’ (2021) was a work of incredible precision and beauty, selectively taking from the sounds of the 60’s British Folk Revival to conjure something uniquely his own, and which reflected Parker’s own northern landscape. This was ably repeated on his recent single on the Reverb Worship label ‘Meanwood Valley Tanneries’, inspired by the industry that existed in Leeds in the 17^th century, which offered a sensitive, considered musical take on historical tradition. An accomplished and mesmerising live performer, Parker has also recently been seen supporting and playing alongside Australian psych folk artist Adam Geoffrey Cole/Trappist Afterland, as well as regularly on his own solo dates.

Cardiff based guitarist David Ian Roberts is also an acclaimed and admired player on the scene, with Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe describing 2020’s ‘From the Harbour’ (accurately) as ‘a quiet masterpiece’, and recently released his fifth, self-titled and highly personal album only a few months back in March. The pair met in 2019 during a series of co-headlining shows to promote their newly released ‘Silent Spring’ and ‘Travelling Bright’ albums, discovering a mutual appreciation of artists such as Nick Drake, John Martyn and Ryley Walker, as well as common ground in their approaches to their own respective music. Material was written on the road, before both Parker and Roberts reconvened in Malham, North Yorkshire to self-record this collaboration over three days. Simplicity seems to have been a key ingredient; two guitars and microphones, one panned left and the other right, resulting in eleven self-penned compositions with no overdubs.

Opening with the album’s title track, a glorious, shimmering elegy to the dying sunlight that Roberts witnessed driving down from Cardiff to record with Parker, it is immediately apparent that this is an album to immerse yourself within, to get lost amongst the dual guitars, as well as the unspoken intuition between the two artists. Indeed, there is a genuine sense of being ‘amongst’ these songs, of being there in the room as they are played and recorded, a tangible intimacy. ‘Old Peculiar’, named after the ale drank by both parties during sessions, and a drink local to Parker, begins tentatively, recalling ‘Pink Moon’-era Nick Drake, before morphing into a deeply textured and invigorating cascade of fingerpicking and layered melody. 

Next, ‘The English Dreamers’ pays tribute not only to the Pre-Raphaelite artists who were once given this title, but also those romantic, pastoral guitarists of the 70’s folk scene such as the afore mentioned Drake, as well as Pentangle’s John Renbourn; a significant and respectful nod to the inspiration that both Parker and Roberts take from their work. Gorgeously woven, the interplay between both artists is seamless, a tapestry of glistening, crystal notes. An album highlight (among a number of treasures), the song’s sepia-tinted, late summer mood hits the perfect point where beauty meets a soft melancholy. The Davy Graham inspired ‘Windy Pike Blues’ follows, taking a more traditional format but being no less hypnotic for this, and the solos that tie the track together demonstrate not only deft technical skills but also a devotion to maintaining the flow and mood of the piece, rather than just being a showcase (the sleeve notes describe how several hours were spent on each solo, to ensure they were just right for the song). ‘The White Roe’ in turn is more reflective, a delicate landscape of silvery harmonics and evocative arpeggios, influenced by the sacred position that deer are held in across cultures.

The variety across ‘Chasing Light’ is worth highlighting, and is evident in the change of mood, atmosphere and pace throughout; for an album of instrumental acoustic guitar music there is an endless well of emotion, energy and storytelling here. ‘Benighted’ is a case of point, its steady motif a framework for more freeform, improvised exploration in its surrounds, evoking dusk and the changing colours of the sky at the close of evening. The truly lovely ‘Wedber Wood’ is redolent of the rolling and breathtaking Yorkshire landscape that inspired the track, and seems to rush by with the power and force of the streams and waterfalls that fill those moors, hills and forests, each note clearly defined and building, harmonising with the next in natural reverb.

Next, ‘The March Hare’ is an intentionally more lysergic piece, with an acknowledged nod to Syd Barrett (and Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’). A flavour of early 70’s Canterbury and Cambridge permeates, and the track has a pleasingly left-field, eerie beauty. Continuing with Parker and Roberts’ shared musical interests, ‘Tomorrow’s Garden’ nods towards ‘Selling England By The Pound’-era Genesis and its folk inflected prog, whilst also having its own rustic majesty and bewitching, unpredictable turns – this is folk, but not as we know it. ‘Mayfly’ follows, a crystalline and warm work that gently buries its hazy summer magic under the skin, leaving a curious nostalgia, a memory of summers long past.

Anyone beholden to ‘Five Leaves Left’, ‘The Road To Ruin’ or ‘The Lady And The Unicorn’ will find much to love about these songs, as well as with the overall feel and mood of the album as a whole. The quality and timelessness of ‘Chasing Light’ means that it can comfortably be spoken about and filed alongside such works. Finally, the album closer ‘Road To Mallaig’ demonstrably evokes the rugged and open Scottish West Coast landscapes, as experienced by Parker whilst hiking, and is an emotive and sublime soundtrack, creating a visual impression as much as a musical one. Indeed, there is a strong visual or pictorial element to ‘Chasing Sunlight’, in its quiet power the album seems to conjure images, memories, places and people as much as melody.

Deceptively simple in its premise, this is an album of fine detail, impactful emotion and numerous moments of beauty. ‘Chasing Light’ welcomes you in to sit and be a part of it all, there is an egalitarian and inclusive feel to Parker and Roberts’ music, rather than any sense of hierarchy or need to be in respectful awe of the musicians. Rather, it feels like being in their kitchen as the long summer evenings fade, and being included in the recording itself. Roberts’ warm and masterful production plays a significant part in this, each song sounding both gorgeous and also intimate. To conclude, this is a very special album of the kind that does not come along often, and it deserves to be treated as such and widely heard. Immerse yourself, be a part of ‘Chasing Light’.

‘Chasing Light’ is available on download, vinyl and CD from the 4th of October, at henryparker.bandcamp.com and davidianroberts.bandcamp.com