Music Review

Feathers and Tributes
Bernard Carney
(2003, DH005)

No Time Like the Future
Bernard Carney and Peter Grayling
BJCD981)

With the number of progressive singer/songwriters coming to Australia for Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival, the National Folk Festival both at Easter time and the Port Fairy Folk Festival music lovers of a variety of types have been treated to Chris Smither, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Cockburn, Taj Mahal, Kristina Olsen, Vin Garbutt, Richard Thompson, Harry Manx, Jez Lowe and Jackson Brown, as they also perform in most Australian capital cities.

While this is great we should not forget artists of a similar type resident in Australia. One such artist is Bernard Carney. I first heard him on Lucky Ocean’s programmme "The Planet" on Radio National singing the song "Christmas With You", a lovely, catchy song talking of person reunion but at the same time painting the beautiful diversity of the Australian landscape. I liked it so much that I rang up the ABC for further details.

In late 2003, I heard him sing at a Circle of Friends fundraiser in Adelaide, in which, among other things, he helped a young asylum seeker boy sing "Old McDonald Had a Farm". Proceeds from his CD sales that night went to assist the Circle of Friends organisation, who assist asylum seekers locked up in Baxter Detention Centre in Port Augusta, South Australia.

Bernard Carney, a West Australian, is impressive as a socially informed, humorous and entertaining performer, winning the Best Folk Singer Category at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in 2003.

Feathers and Tributes not only includes "Christmas With You" and "Refugee to a Refugee", but some delightfully witty songs such as "Little Dot Com", "Wine" and "Here is the Chorus".

No Time Like The Future has a fine environmental song "The Sugar and the Grain", with the anti-war song "War Song", written at the time of the 1991 Gulf War especially powerful. As well, "Gardens of Death" adds further insight and thought about what has caused the landmines crisis in many parts of the world. Like all good folk singers, songs for his children "Cassandra’s Lullaby", and grandchildren "Man on the Moon" complete this set of very compelling songs.

Bernard Carney is worth catching live at any venue, as he also has that great gift of entertaining banter between songs, similar to British folk artists Roy Bailey and Vin Garbutt.

Feathers and Tributes and other Bernard Carney CDs can be ordered from www.bernardcarney.com or by contacting Bernard at 16 Planet St, Carlisle, WA 6101.

Phone (08) 9361 0272; fax (08) 9361 1695.
Email: carneybe@cantech.net.au

Jack Humphrys