Bryony Holden
Album: Across The Purple Sky
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 10
Website: https://soundcloud.com/bryonyholden

It's been thirty five years since the untimely death of the great Sandy Denny. In that time her status has pretty much risen to that of music icon. The attention garnered on both her 19CD box set and the collaborative project with Thea Gilmore as well as tribute tour all show the impact her music not only had, but continues to have, why she is still cited as an influence to artists, such as Josienne Clarke, who wasn't even born when Sandy died.

Another artist who has been heavily inspired by Sandy Denny is Tinkercuss vocalist, Bryony Holden, who felt that a great way to commemorate those thirty five years would be by releasing an album of songs that have become associated with Sandy Denny. I say associated because Sandy was as fine an interpreter of songs as she was a writer.

"Across The Purple Sky" starts off with the traditional folk song, "Banks Of The Nile" and ends with the signature track, "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and on the journey in between explores as much of Sandy's work as you can in ten songs, solo works and those done in the groups that Sandy was a member of and lead.

Even though I know Bryony through her singing and playing with Tinkerscuss, I did have a bit of trepidation, too many single artist tributes can end up as over polished and fawning, but very quickly it was obvious that "Across The Purple Sky" does a grand job in capturing the spirit of the artist, rather than merely providing note for note replication.

Ms Holden should be heartily congratulated for not only her approach, but also her delivery. This is an album that, naturally, has Sandy at it's very core, but also one that you can also feel a progress of time in, yes all of the folk rock sensibilities are there, but so also are a number of more contemporary sounds. Denny was an artist that strived to always keep moving and Bryony definitely gets that.

"Across The Purple Sky" does have something for the Denny fan that has the nineteen cd box set, more importantly it has something for the ten year old just discovering music in their own right and aren't even aware of the life and times of Sandy Denny yet. For them "Across The Purple Sky" is an album of ten great songs performed by Bryony Holden and I like that.

Neil King