"Stay At Home" by Carrick

This morning's news is that Carrick have just released their new single "Stay at Home", which will later appear on their forthcoming second album, ‘Ghosts in the Lens'.

Although Caroline Dyson & Rich Howell bill themselves as a "modern" folk duo (and the covers aspects of their live act certainly transcends both genres & eras in such a way), this latest release is extremely traditional & classic in sound. As the subject matter (as you'll have guessed from the title) is very much contemporary in inspiration, this juxtaposition of the old & the new gives the track extra power & by setting our current struggles within the much broader framework of the age old role of folk music to record the narratives of affliction, it gives an extra layer of meaning to both the song & our personal understanding of how the pandemic fits into our history & sits alongside what our forebears had to endure.

The song itself, quite apart from the above attributes is really well wrought & executed; thoughtful & articulate lyrics which address the impact of COVID19 on a variety of groups with empathy & understanding as well as a delightful clarity of expression, set above an equally clear & suitably restrained accompaniment. A cool & sympathetic vocal delivery, augmented from time to time with harmonies for emphasis & an ongoing woodwind motif which injects the poignancy part of the song, this is an excellent song which I'm sure will resonate long after the events have hopefully passed & which can act as a cultural testament for these times.