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The Unthanks Fan Reviews (2)
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Delightful Mix of Light and Darkness
The songs and poetry of Molly Drake vary from the light hearted, to the philosophical, to the downright dark. Despite her upper-middle-class background and upbringing, in similar fashion to her son (Nick), Molly had the ability, via her artistic output, accurately to reflect the ups and downs of the lives of others in a way that transcended class barriers. The Unthanks', respectful treatment did justice to the diversity and sensitivity of Molly Drake's work, the quality of which, until very recently, had passed unnoticed and unlauded, since she never performed her work in public. The combination of songs and the poetry, the latter read and recorded by Molly's daughter Gabrielle and played back between songs, worked beautifully. Suffice to say, that the unique timbre and combination of the voices of Becky and Rachel, as well as the beautiful arrangements played by the band, both suited and enhanced Molly's work. The unusual stage dressing, projected images and ethereal music played before and in the interval between the sets all served to create an other-worldly atmosphere which perfectly suited the nature of Molly Drake's music and poetry. The standing ovation that they received at the end was richly deserved: a brave project which hung together perfectly to give the audience a very special evening's entertainment.
Posted by Gary B on 30/04/2017
The Unthanks - How Wild The Wind Blows, TramShed, Cardiff - 29th April 2017
Breathtaking performance
Even though they were unaccompanied, their stage presence was amazing. The sound was perfect - all three were in balance.
Posted by Hadders on 03/05/2019
The Unthanks, Union Chapel, London - 2nd May 2019
The Unthanks are the Tyne and Wear-based folk group, focused on northern female perspectives.
Formed in 2004, the quintet consists of Rachel Unthank (vocals, cello, kalimba, feet), Becky Unthank (vocals, autoharp, feet), Niopha Keegan (violin, vocals), Adrian McNally (piano, vocals) and Chris Price (guitar, bass, vocals).
Their prolific output includes the studio albums Here’s The Tender Coming (2009), Last (2011), Mount The Air (2015) and Lines (2019).