Canadian songwriter, musician (flute) and vocalist Allison Lupton has a beautiful warm flowing vocal style,
Assisting on her third album, Lupton has a bunch of fine pickers in tow. Ian Bell (guitar, banjo, concertinas, suitcase), Andrew Collins (mandolin, fiddle, backing vocals), North Americana Fiddle Champion Shane Cook (he also provides some rhythm with his feet), Lori Gemmell (harp), Dennis Rondeau (bass) and Tom Leighton (accordion, piano) plus others who drop by on a track or two.
Songwriter Craig Werth among them, who plays banjo and vocals on his song “Where Oh Where My Rising Star”, plus he is responsible for acoustic guitar on traditional Scottish song “The Lichtbob’s Lassie”. Wrapped in fiddle and pleasing melody, her vocals as often the case are most soothing.
Lupton sashays through one song (and a couple of tunes) after another with fine aplomb, and through cross-matching Appalachian old timey with Canadian and Gaelic the listener is never short of variation, and with Lupton comfortable in all styles Half My Heart is an intelligent and enjoyable listen.
Among the covers there’s fellow Canadian Bruce Cockburn’s “Love Song”; as an injection of pace on using banjo, accordion and fiddle help the tune breeze along. Gerry O’Beirne’s “The Isle Of Malachy” on borrowing the melody from Irish ballad “Sean O’ Duibhir a’ Ghleanna”. Like with the stately immigration song, “Sally Greer” it fits snugly alongside Lupton’s song about war brides, “Over the Ocean To Canada” (c/w brass) and beautiful, banjo, fiddle, accordion and harmony vocals; The Lucky Harmony Sisters Rosemary Phelan and Tannis Slimmon laced delight “Love Oh Love”.
On the instrumental front, old-time/ bluegrass instrumentalist Mark Schatz’s “Julie’s Waltz” shares pride of place with two Canadian tunes from O. Schroer (“Ojnab”) and B. Pickell (“Benoit’s Pool”).
Lupton by reason of the diversity of the material and styles; one of the many strengths of her collection may have conceded an opportunity to establish a more identifiable sound of her own.
Maurice Hope