''Dear Companion'' is
Espers vocalist
Meg Baird
Meg Baird is an American musician based in San Francisco, California, United States, who, in addition to her solo career, is known as a founding member, lead vocalist, and drummer for Heron Oblivion, along with members from Assemble Head in Sunb ...
's first solo album. It was released in 2007 to critical praise. The album contains three traditional folk songs, four covers of more recent songs, and two original songs written by Baird. The album is lightly orchestrated traditional folk music, without Espers' psychedelic and prog influences, dense orchestration, and dark atmosphere. ''Dear Companion'' was recorded at the same time as the Espers album ''
II'', at Baird's home in Philadelphia.
[Murphy, Matthew]
Album Review: Dear Companion
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
. 2007-04-30. Two of the traditional songs ("
Willie o Winsbury
Willie O Winsbury is Child Ballad 100 (Roud 64). The song, of which there are many variants, is a traditional Scottish ballad that dates from at least 1775, and is known under several other names, including "Johnnie Barbour" and "Lord Thomas of Win ...
" and "
Barbry Ellen") also appeared on ''Leaves From Off the Tree'', an album by Baird, Espers bandmate
Helena Espvall, and
Sharron Kraus that came out the year before.
Two versions of the title song open and close the album, the second one a cappella.
Track listing
#"Dear Companion"
(Traditional) – 3:44
#"River Song" by Chris Thompson (http://www.expdev.net/htownwiki/index.php/Chris_Thompson) 2:31
#"
The Cruelty of Barbary Ellen"
(Traditional)– 6:26
#"Do What You Gotta Do"
(Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", " By the Time I Get to Phoenix", " MacArthur Park", " Wichita Lineman", " Wo ...
)– 2:48
#"Riverhouse in Tinicum"
(Original) – 4:01
#"The Waltze of the Tennis Players"
( Fraser & DeBolt)– 3:05
#"Maiden in the Moor Lay"
(Original) – 2:26
#"
Sweet William and Fair Ellen"
(Traditional) – 5:13
#"All I Ever Wanted"
( New Riders of the Purple Sage)– 3:20
#"
Willie O' Winsbury"
(Traditional) – 6:09
#"Dear Companion" – 2:27
Notes
2007 debut albums
Meg Baird albums
Drag City (record label) albums
{{2000s-folk-album-stub