Karine Polwart, Traverse

As one of the biggest stars of the Scottish, indeed UK, folk scene it was no surprise that this gig was sold out weeks in advance.  As one of her first acts on stage Polwart asked how many in the audience had seen her performing before, and the vast majority of hands shot up.  Karine has a loyal following, but must have surprised them all with this performance.

Recounting how the brief song introductions she'd done early in her career had steadily grown to the point where she found herself speaking as much as she was singing, it felt natural to develop a style which mixed spoken word and music with no precedence given to one or the other.  So this show was in the nature of an experiment, to see how this new approach felt, and she asked our indulgence.

Anyone coming desirous of hearing an evening of song might have been disappointed, but for those of more open mind this was a fascinating gig.  Under the theme of Wind Resistance, Polwart took us out into the landscape near her Midlothian home, specifically Fala Moor, mixing descriptions of the landscape, views, wildlife and trees with stories from past and present, and interspersed by a carefully chosen selection of songs, leading into musings on life, politics and Donald Trump (she's not a fan).  In the second half there was the story of the difficult birth of her first child, complete with graphic detail of the ordeal (I heard one woman behind me exclaim "Oh No" in a genuinely pained tone at one point), stretching into a more philosophical meandering through her thoughts on the state of our society.

Alongside the stories of her own reality were tales of fiction and myth, a Pablo Neruda poem, and, of course, songs.  Some from the tradition, others of more recent origin, and many from her own pen.  A Bert Jansch number provided a reminder that whilst her musical ability is more than competent for most song accompaniment, she's no Anna Massie.  But the voice transcends this, clear, warm and carrying an accent lightly, it draws in the listener and can make accompaniment redundant.  For an encore she eschewed the guitar and delivered a perfect rendition of the gorgeous Follow The Heron, a perfect way to round off the evening.

Overall the show had the feeling of a work in progress, a stepping off point, but one that is headed in the right direction.  It's an approach that would only work as a solo performance, and those seeking a more musical set would be advised to see Karine with her band.  But her ability as a storyteller suggest this is a new artistic approach that could win Polwart a new band of fans.  It will be interesting to see where this takes her in future.