Artist – Alison Benson
EP – Paths & Stories
Released – 28th March 2020
Reviewer – Graham Holland, Liverpool Acoustic
Alison Benson is, first and foremost, a storyteller. Whereas some people tell stories by writing books, making sculptures, or dancing, Alison tells her tales by writing songs. And she’s rather good at it!
We know just how good she is because she’s won the Audience Favourite award at two Liverpool Acoustic Songwriting Challenge Showcase Finals with Crystal Ball in 2016 and Black Pearls (Unfinished Business) in 2018, and won the inagural Liverpool Acoustic 24 Hour Songwriting Challenge in 2019. Not content with that, in January 2020 she took home both the Audience Favourite and Judges’ Award at the 2019 Showcase Final!
So it’s no surprise that Alison’s new EP features new recordings of her first two Songwriting Challenge songs – Crystal Ball and Black Pearls (Unfinished Business).
Each of the EP’s five songs tells a story about an individual – some fictional, others real. They are all accompanied by Alison’s superb, complimentary ukulele playing.
“I must get rid of this curse before it kills me.”
The Crystal Ball
Inspired by The Magic Crystal by Frank Bernard Dicksee currently on display at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, the opening track tells how the singer came upon the titular crystal ball and how its power brought nothing but bad luck to the user who eventually palmed it off onto an unwitting new owner. Will it bring him the same misfortune? Who knows.
With the next song Black Pearls (Unfinished Business), inspired by Andrew Galbraith’s painting on display at the View Two Gallery at the time, we’re introduced to someone so wrapped up in what they thought was a deep, special relationship – wooed by a silver tongue and gifted black pearls and a portrait – that they didn’t notice their lover was a rat until they were cast aside. What follows is a descent into madness and a plot to enact sweet revenge using poison. I’m sure we can all relate to that!
The Price of Salt is inspired by the 1952 Patricia Highsmith book, which in turn inspired the 2015 film Carol starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. This love song is enhanced by a beautiful string arrangement.
The true life story of 17th Century English Catholic nun Mary Ward inspired the anthem Sing My Soul. Mary was a true pioneer of her time. Through her practical ministry she established free schools for the poor in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and England. Her work carried out outside of monastery walls broke with tradition and brought her into direct conflict with the Pope and religious leaders at a time when the Catholic Church was debating whether women even had souls, hence the song title.
The final song Seek Peace is also based on a true story with a religious element. This time we’re introduced to Bert Brocklesby, a Methodist and First World War conscientious objector who was imprisoned for his beliefs.
If you’re someone who appreciates storytelling in song then you can’t fail to be impressed with Alison Benson’s Paths & Stories EP.
Graham Holland
Review © 2020 Graham Holland, Liverpool Acoustic
Paths & Stories was released on 28th March 2020 and is available to buy from iTunes and Amazon. Check out all the links at ditto.fm/paths-and-stories
To celebrate its first anniversary Alison is hosting a celebratory birthday party concert on Sunday 28th March 2021 at 4pm on her Facebook page.
Alison Benson
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EP Review: Alison Benson – Paths & Stories