Various Artists "Music Over Distance" (Signal Records)

"Collaborations during lockdown to raise money for personal protective equipment for NHS workers."

"Music Over Distance" is raising money for a good cause and features a host of ace artists working together remotely. Having road tested it today, Not Unloved can vouch for its suitably as a working from home soundtrack. That is in no way meant to demean it as mere background music! No, there is so much to admire among the 22 tracks including a touching finale. If you've ever cocked an ear to the kind of music sold or championed via boomkat or Norman Records, you'll find much to enjoy and a fair few familiar names including a bunch from the Hood orbit. It's only 8 quid and if you download it you'll get the rosy glow that comes from knowing you did a good thing. Plus, if, like Not Unloved, you were looking forward to seeing The Declining Winter on their mini-tour next week, track 15 goes a little way towards making up for its postponement.

Violets of Dawn

There was a time (shortly after Rev-ola released this cd) when I'd listen to "Violets of Dawn" for hours on end.  That's not a figure of speech, either. I did actually listen to it over and over and over.  In a world of thousands upon thousands of wonderful songs and recordings, to listen obsessively to just one song may seem like a bad use of time but just listen to Mary's voice and you'll hear why I had to.  Have you ever heard a voice so pure in all your life?  Chuck's voice, too, is lovely - soft but certainly not weedy - and the guitar playing and its placement in the mix is perfect.  I'm so glad they didn't crowd the recording with additional needless, distracting instrumentation.   Shamefully, I know nothing about the song's writer, Eric Andersen (time to get reading!), but I do know that his song as recorded in late 1968 by Chuck and Mary Perrin is one of the most bewitchingly beautiful and endlessly comforting things I will ever hear.

Read a little about the lp, including an unexpected namecheck for The Shaggs!) on Chuck's site.  Time-Lag currently has a decidedly non-Mint copy for 450 quid!