 | | Reviews | | |  EQUATION
Return To Me
Rough Trade RTRADECD083
The 'lost' Equation album finally emerges and it's well worth the wait. In 1995, the fresh acoustic sound of Kathryn Roberts, Kate Rusby and the three Lakeman brothers Sean, Sam and Seth gained bigtime media interest and courtship from Warner Bros imprint Blanco Y Negro. Exit Rusby at this point to pursue a solo career, and enter Irish singer Cara Dillon. The band's debut album for Warners suffered a long gestation period during which time Cara and Sam departed to work together and the unreleased record slipped into oblivion. Now out on the Rough Trade label, it's something of a revelation.
Where subsequent, post-Dillon Hazy Daze (1998) moved the band further into indie/pop territory and 1999's The Lucky Few claimed the folk-rock ground where they've remained, Return To Me's folk-tinged acoustic ambience and twin-vocal presence is simply stunning. Dillon's now-familiar clear soprano proves it can belt out an uptempo number as well as caress a love song and Roberts switches from light delicacy to spine-shivering sultry contralto at will. Together they contrast and complement and create subtle and arresting harmonies.
Initially, the presence of Dillon's brogue conjures Cranberry-coloured memories or Corr comparisons but the Lakemans' coherent, assured arrangements take Equation into a far more original realm of space and dynamics characterized by the distinctive sounds of Seth's swooping fiddle, Sam's liquid keyboards and Sean's tight guitar work. Stylistically varied yet coherent, songs by Dougie Maclean, Tim Wood, Annie Briggs, the Williams Brothers and several Sean/Sam/Cara compositions fuse together traditional elements, funky bass (Darren Edwards) and fiddle grooves, slices of jazz piano and all manner of other goodness into a coherent, flowing whole aided by effective drums and percussion from guest musicians. One gripe: the packaging is disappointingly void of notes or lyrics … but if you're going to buy one Equation album, make it this one and do it now.
Mel McClellan - March 2003
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 I bought the album after seeing Cara Dillon play at The Met in Bury, with Sam and Seth Lakeman. Having enjoyed the show and bought Cara's debut solo album, I thought I'd check out the band's 'lost' album. Let's just say it's a good job this CD was eventually released. The content is distinctively folky but not too much so as to put off new fans of the genre like me. Opening track 'He Loves Me' is particularly good, with a slow intro building upto a catchy chorus. Other highlights include the title track and 'Sad The Girl'. Every music lover should buy this album, in addition to Cara Dillon's eponymous album and 'Sweet Liberty'.
Stuart Riley, Lancashire
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Folk & Acoustic
