Natalie Wildgoose delivers an ode to the Yorkshire Dales on ‘Nobody On The Path’
In times when fear and chaos reign supreme, we all have our own genres that we seek solace in, and there’s perhaps nothing more comforting than immersing yourself in the world of folk.
Folk music appears to be undergoing something of a renaissance in the UK at the moment, but not necessarily in the same way as we’ve expected it to in recent years. Given how folk has often been reduced to a catch-all term that encompasses every artist who uses acoustic instrumentation, the genre finds itself incorporating a much more diverse definition than how things were perceived in the early 20th century.
While this is no bad thing, and has led to some fascinating mutations in the genre developing in modern times, we’ve also begun to generate a crop of artists who are finding themselves returning to its roots a lot more, stripping away all of the modern production styles that have been introduced and opting to hone in on the simplicity and starkness of the compositions.
Hailing from North Yorkshire, Natalie Wildgoose is perhaps one of the UK’s finest examples of an artist who is turning back the dial and focusing on the foundations of the genre, and her latest single, ‘Nobody On The Path’, is a stunning example of an artist who is evidently engaged not just the roots of English folk, but with her own origins as well.
Exploring a pastoral sound which is delivered in a relaxing and subdued fashion, what Wildgoose offers that is absent from the work of many contemporary acts in her sphere is a delicate touch that doesn’t try to overstate any of its key elements. By paring things back significantly and allowing her words and bare-bones arrangements to work their magic, we’re offered something that is more intimate than opulent, and in order to make this work, you’ve got to be able to deliver with a masterful touch.
‘Nobody On The Path’ evokes thoughts of the countryside, with a distinct focus on the Yorkshire Dales, where large amounts of her forthcoming EP, Rural Hours, was recorded. Having been raised trudging along the isolated country paths of the area, but now based in London, much of the song appears to be yearning for this rural setting and to be surrounded by the wonder of nature.
Naturally, given the subject matter and its beatific celebration of the wide open plains of land, the song has a sparseness to it, and while sometimes there may be good cause for the song to erupt further into life, the delicate whispers of Wildgoose’s voice and the gently applied guitar, piano and violin are all that really need to be used to demonstrate the blissfulness of the track.
While folk music is often understood to be the music and stories of real people, modern folk often has a tendency to slip into the trap of referencing technological despair. Wildgoose doesn’t need to do that; in her ideal world, there’s nobody around, and the verdant pastures and chirping birdsong are all she needs to feel content in her surroundings.
It’s great to hear someone connect with their roots both in a musical and geographical context, and if Rural Hours delivers more in this vein, it may end up elevating Wildgoose to an even greater level in the modern British folk canon.
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