A gift from Canada to the UK

A theme that has run throughout my various conversations with Canadian singer/songwriter, Tia McGraff, is storytelling. This is also a constant strand throughout her seven albums; stories about history, relationships, places, opinions to name just a few. The UK has been a frequent destination for Tia and husband (also producer and co-performer) Tommy Parham, where they are touring this month. To reward us Brits she has just released an EP, Nothin’ to Lose. This is a perfect summary of what she does so well; tell stories with thought-provoking lyrics, in a voice with so much feeling and range with sparing but perfectly arranged accompaniment.

The opening song, ‘Dartmoor’, was inspired by last year’s tour that took Tia over Dartmoor where they met its wild ponies. The accompaniment is a gentle picking with fiddle by long-standing collaborator, Wanda Vicks, Recorded thousands of miles away, Tia has the listener sitting with her on that remote tor, “if I could be anywhere, I’d close my eyes and I’m running there with the ponies on Dartmoor in May”.

The pace picks up slightly with the title track that says what the heck, things aren’t that great but let’s have a go and we’ll make it all a bit better. It has an almost country feel but what does come out of this collection of new material is a more reflective folk direction. Perhaps that’s just a better way for Tia to express herself. Anyway, better not get bogged down with labels; let’s allow the music to speak for itself.

‘Masterpiece’ definitely has a folkier feel, a lovely analogy of feelings with a cherished piece of furniture. The banjo gets an airing for protest on ‘Faithful Ones’. Here Tia’s own beliefs come to the fore; almost gospel and certainly full of hope, “build that bridge to the other side……dancing in the New Jerusalem”.

‘Faraway Man’ laments distance in a relationship but by the end of this heart-searching song you feel that gap has narrowed.  The best story on this EP is Rocks That You Can’t Move’, a civil rights story of a man called John Moses who faced a life of hardship with optimism that “life is fertile ground, it takes a lot of rain to grow….do the best you can do, plough between the rocks you can’t move”.

The EP closes with ‘Change is a Comin’’, a rousing cry that reflects Tia’s reaction to all that’s been going on in the world, particularly the US,  over the past few months. In a nutshell it’s not good but face up to it, speak up and keep marching. Almost back to the 1960s so who says history doesn’t repeat itself?

This is a meticulously crafted set of songs that summarises where Tia is at the moment. A bit more reflective, taking stock of things but the emotion this EP leaves me with is hope; despite the clouds in several of these songs, they will lift and the sun will come out.