There are only so many times you can use the words “folk boom” in covering East Riding artists, but it is true. Henry Parker and those working away with this quality are responsible for a massive overhaul of the genre, the spoils of which are clear to see. We go to tracks like Meanwood Valley Tanneries for the warmth they produce. Outward facing, environmentally in touch and rooted in the history of the lands. How could it not be? Meanwood Valley Tanneries pays tribute to Leeds’ historic tanning industry. But it is not all joy and comfort, particularly not in the days of tanning when the stench turned the area of northern Leeds into a drunken minefield of foul smells and fouler actions. Even with this backdrop, Parker pulls something monumentally beautiful from the historic trade.
What a treat Meanwood Valley Tanneries is. From its lush acoustics to its range of accessible, historically proud roots, Parker maintains his fine form. It all boomed on Lammas Fair and the consistent continuations heard from then is a marvellously warm experience. Felling trees and those links to nature live on in the businesses and people who lived in the area – and it is no surprise the likes of The Meanwood Brewery find their footing in history. Leeds is opened as an area of once rich proportions, and though its cultural rejuvenation may be moving it away from these rooted tannery times, it feels reassuring to know musicians like Parker are hellbent on maintaining the spoils of history.
Yet this is not enough for Parker, whose warmth and instrumental prowess linger nicely on the follow-up track Sweet Spring. A perfect little number to add to your playlist as the nights get lighter and the weather gets, well, not warmer… such is life on the coast of Hull. But certainly sharper. Less bitter in its winds. Those sweet notes of well-placed acoustic wonder should be no surprise. There they are once more for Parker, whose maudlin ways do well to expose the beauty of the area but stop short of ripping out its heart for a cheap punt of emotional lucidity. Parker has it all together for this double release, a genuine pleasure rooted in the area, something listeners need at a time when the future of their beloved days in the past is less assured.
Get in touch with your roots. It is one process to be proud of the history but another to maintain interest in the development of a city. Parker has this gift for making these places he sings of feel like the centre of the world and not just a part of it. Meanwood Valley Tanneries is a tune which will either kindle some pride for your roots or jealousy for not having some extraordinary history behind it. But where we lay our head is our hometown now. In a time where pride in cities and countries is a major turn-off, it is up to artists and people alike to give us reason to care for where we reside. Parker does this by turning to history often dismissed and likely not presented as a capable and necessary exploration of what makes a city so valuable.
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