Vigorous violin-playing and haunting songs about Dartmoor legends and folklore are what fans of solo artist Seth Lakeman know him for best. Everyone else is more likely to remember him for his Mercury-nominated second album ‘Kitty Jay’.
‘Hearts and Minds‘, the fifth album from the Devon-born musician, finds him shifting towards more of a rock-influenced sound, compared with his previous offerings.
Lakeman has managed to carve himself an image as the perfect Westcountry folk hero, since the release of ‘Kitty Jay’ in 2004. The numerous tours and festival appearances that have followed have seen him rise to become one of the most respected and popular folk singers in the country. That album’s successors, though not reaching quite the same prestige, have impressed fans and critics alike and Lakeman’s status has continued to flourish – not just as a member of his particular field, but as an artist full stop.
While his earlier albums revolved around a darker sound that fit comfortably around the tone of the songs, for 2008’s ‘Poor Man’s Heaven’, Lakeman began to introduce himself to a livelier style. With ‘Hearts and Minds’, he has taken this to the next level by incorporating a stomping folk-rock energy that brings a lighter side to his music.
However, fans of Lakeman’s own brand of fiddle-fuelled folk won’t be disappointed, as there are more violins on offer here than you can shake a stick at. But this isn’t the same flavour that previous listeners will be used to. The same passion is there, but the mood of the earlier releases has been taken and injected with a greater sense of enjoyment, which will have you stamping your feet along to the music on several occasions. At times, you can almost imagine yourself standing in a rowdy spit-and-sawdust pub watching a band play.
From the outset of the album on title track ‘Hearts and Minds’, Seth’s new direction is impossible to miss as the song rolls along with a grooving beat that is difficult not to dance to.
Throughout the record, Lakeman manages to play his violin with a definite rock’n’roll enthusiasm that bulks out the lively folk-rock already on offer. This hard-rock element can be heard, in particular, during songs ‘The Watchman’ and ‘See Them Dance’, in which Seth cranks out fiddle riffs that could easily compete with the gnarliest guitar solos. Despite this, Lakeman cannot be accused of trying to reinvent himself as a rock singer. His strong yet soothing vocals, which fans will surely admire him for, can be found as much here as ever before.
Elsewhere, Lakeman mixes up several other genres, including country and blues. For a couple of tracks, most notably ‘Tiny World’ and ‘Hard Working Man’, he even tries to create a certain element of folk-pop that employs a more pleasant and melodic feel. On a few occasions, the music revisits the calmer style of Lakeman’s previous albums while managing to remain on the lighter side of things. One track entitled ‘Changes’ incorporates a slow double bass rhythm with some gentle percussion to create a very relaxing and atmospheric quality.
For ‘Hearts and Minds’, Seth Lakeman has made an album that definitely brings more of a live band energy to his music. Aside from this, the production quality of this record is noticeably different from his earlier releases, such as ‘Kitty Jay’, which was recorded on a famously low budget.
Whether or not this slight change of direction is down to the influence of Lakeman’s increasing popularity or just a certain desire to prove himself as more than just a folk singer, it goes without saying that he has made another impressive album. Although it doesn’t quite meet the evocative and authentic texture of ‘Kitty Jay’, ‘Hearts and Minds’ will no doubt go down as a great achievement for English folk music.
Stereoboard Rating: 7/10
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From the outset of the album on title track ‘Hearts and Minds’, Seth’s new direction is impossible to miss as the song rolls along with a grooving beat that is difficult not to dance to. 
