Hailing from the Armagh-Monaghan border, Dani Larkin has established herself as a powerful folk force not only locally but worldwide. After a headline Irish tour, a series of shows in New York City’s Irish Arts Centre, and sold-out performances at Tradfest Dublin, Larkin’s rich traditional voice continues to blend themes of old and new as seen with her latest EP.
‘Walking With Natives’ was released as “an ode to the land and the sea, the flora and fauna, the mountains and the hills, the cliffs and towering trees” and it will make you question all that you know about the lore of storytelling.
A piece of poetry is not exactly what one expects to hear from an artist’s EP, yet the vulnerability of ‘Body and Bone’ as an opening track is strikingly unforgettable. Speaking of vulnerability, Dani herself explains that despite having written poems throughout her lifetime the action of actually sharing one in such a way feels very exposed. Exposed it is, there is truly nothing to hide behind during this song apart from the scattered scratch of strings. It acts as this crossover between Larkin’s older work to this new beginning, thus setting us up for an emotive journey.
The maturity of the EP is particularly prevalent on the remastered ‘Heron, Until We’re Free’, an understandable route to have taken musically considering the weightiness of the climate change topic. Everything from the lyrics to the instrumentation to the thoughts behind the song create this feeling. The continual picking pattern allows us as listeners to become fully engrossed by lyrics such as “who are we to grieve” whilst the music flourishes as the song continues, darkened strings and harmonious vocals deepening the urgent message that the track conveys.
In a similar style to before, the title track ‘Walking With Natives’ is lyrically focused amongst hypnotic arrangements of guitar and banjo. “Ice is gone, how will we carry on?” Larkin announces with a voice that, despite its delicate state, is formidably powerful and seems to have no limits to what it can achieve. A series of aahs bounce off the next as they separate verse from verse in a worldly sound, and the arrival of doubled vocals near the end of the song make me think of the rich tones made by the likes of First Aid Kit.
‘Come Home To Me’ is “a quiet contemplation on the nature of forgiveness” and it is my favourite song on the EP. The strumming of the guitar introduces us to a new sensation, it’s muted yet the emotional delivery still comes across perfectly. Melody wise it is very strong in a bittersweet way. The moving vocals shine once more, and there is a sense of closure offered to listeners with this peaceful ending.
