An artist who can affect genres beyond their chosen lead is always a thrill to hear. Bert Jansch, for all his contemporary folk songwriting and the effect this still has on modern-day acoustics, has driven the likes of Neil Young and Johnny Marr into genres which Jansch would never touch. Not because he couldn’t or shouldn’t, but because the influence of his voice and writing was best served by the folk tone heard on Rosemary Lane. You can track back from modern folk voices worth hearing, the likes of Katie Spencer and Chris Brain, right through to Jansch. Their love of his work and the finger-plucking familiarity of Rosemary Lane lives on through their work. It makes it all the better when returning to it to hear just how much of an effect Jansch had. Not just through this record but his whole career, though Rosemary Lane is a delightful place to recognise that influence.
Short, sharp, and sweet songs are what Jansch delivers best here. Opener Tell Me What True Love Is? has all the subtleties necessary to build a song of obvious sincerity. It’s that contrast which works best of all for Jansch on Rosemary Lane. He wears his heart on his sleeve and to do so means adapting some warm flourishes of acoustic guitar. Rosemary Lane is, ultimately, an album delivered with a softer listening experience in mind. That doesn’t mean the lyrics and straightforward instrumental work don’t hit hard, though. What Jansch remembers is what the best of contemporary folk knows too, and you can hear what it is on the title track. Just because the song has a sentimental flow doesn’t mean there’s no harder message, no nastier blow left at its core. Jansch writes with a real beauty and positivity but, depending on where you find yourself, you might just find a few thorns on the roses littering Rosemary Lane.
M’Lady Nancy is an effective instrumental moment because you can hear what Jansch is considering, how he feels, through the guitar alone. Few have a grasp on instrumental flow as well as that, and it makes all the difference for Rosemary Lane. Vocal interjections, too, serve their purpose. Playful and piercing all at once on A Dream, a Dream, a Dream. Short stop-offs like Alman are charming but they too showcase just how much can be done with a minute or so. Nobody’s Bar is nothing short of sensational. It’s an outstanding example of what Jansch did best with the catchy flow of his acoustic work and the observational thrills of being nowhere particular for events of massive impact. A wonderful contrast is brought on between Alman and Reynardine. Each song says everything it needs to, but the latter offers a winding traipse through Jansch’s strong writing style.
Crucial for folk music, be it a classic like Jansch or a modern-day hitmaker, is the brevity of the topic. Look too closely and it’s the detail that wins out over the emotional experience, too far away and it falls apart all the same. Jansch finds a fine balance between those songs which are clear mirrors of his own life and experiences, and those out-there moments which feel as though they play that little bit looser with the truth. River walks, moments of contemplation in bars across the country, but even then, you can project a little cliche onto these songs of sincerity. You can imagine the dark oak which makes up the bar, the smoky rooms where these thoughts are had. It may be the truth, it could be far from it, whatever the case, Rosemary Lane has plenty of specifics but never dictates the mood a listener should be in when listening to these folk wonders.
