ANALOGUE TALES: SOUNDS FROM ARDEN
Celebrated Birmingham singer-songwriter James Summerfield fifth studio album ‘Analogue Tales: Sounds From Arden’ is a rich and vivid exploration of city of Birmingham and surrounding areas of the English Midlands, features the words of friend and poet Darren Cannan set to James Summerfield’s striking yet elegant take on Americana.
Lyrically, Analogue Tales: Sounds From Arden covers ground familiar to most residents of the city, with the Jewellery Quarter, Longbridge Rover car plant, the M42, Ladywood, Birmingham city centre and Sutton Coldfield featuring in the allegories, observations, asides and stories that make up the album.
The extraordinary pictures of the region’s people, landscapes and identity has further detail added by the voices of guest narrators The Beat frontman Ranking Roger, broadcaster Robin Valk, James Summerfield’s grandmother Marjorie Summerfield, authors Mike Gayle and Catherine O’Flynn, and songwriter and actor Paul Murphy.
At only 33, James Summerfield could well be considered as something of an experienced musician. A favourite of legendary broadcaster and disc jockey the late John Peel, the Birmingham-born singer-songwriter played with Buick 6 (later The Toques) throughout the mid-2000s before self-recording his acclaimed debut solo album ‘Hailah, Hailah’ aged 21. Since then, he has gone on to produce a further three solo albums and tour with Ivor Novello award-winning artist Scott Matthews.
Recorded in the intimate surroundings of Birmingham’s 100% analogue Highbury Studio, Analogue Tales: Sounds From Arden is, in the eyes of James Summerfield, the best work he’s produced to date.
“I’d never previously wanted to do a concept album, but the opportunity to use Darren’s intriguingly crafted poems with themes emulating my own social and cultural background works – it’s a concept which feels of importance.” – James Summerfield, May 2015
James Summerfield – Analogue Tales: Sounds From Arden is released on vinyl, CD and download via Commercially Inviable Records.
Tracklisting
1. The Block
2. A Secret War (Town and Country) (feat. Ranking Roger)
3. Jewellery Quarter/Avoiding the Rain in the Satellite Town
4. There are Some Occasions you do not Know What To Wear (feat. Robin Valk)
5. Stechford (Iron Lane)
6. Cenotaph (feat. Marjorie Summerfield)
7. Feral Cats of Longbridge
8. River (feat. Mike Gayle)
9. Knuckles on the Window of the Cross City Line
10. Beryl Doesn’t Give a Toss (feat. Catherine O’Flynn)
11. A Critical Mass of Reasonableness (feat. Paul Murphy)
