Maiden Voyage

So, 2021’s taste for the sea shanties may be starting to go as stale as a ship’s biscuit, but there is certainly life in the old sea dog yet as all-female shanty crew The Silver Darlings gallantly prove. The familiar songs are all here, of course, from the rousing ‘John Kanaka’, a brawny ‘Haul Away Joe’ and the ubiquitous ‘The Wellerman’, but there are other tunes that confidently establish The Silver Darlings as a formidable crew in their own right. It’s safe to say these girls know their shanties.

It’s a nicely curated set with some fun surprises thrown in. The French whaling song ‘Pique La Baleine’ is a highlight, as is ‘The Last Barge’, which tells the tale of the last working Thames barge. Closer ‘Padstow Farewell’ is surprisingly emotional and leaves the listener aching for more. The majority of tracks on Maiden Voyage are songs traditionally delivered by male voices, and it will be interesting to hear the Darlings tackle songs that have a more female focus in the future, but, in the meantime, relish in The Silver Darlings’ raw, melodious harmonies, rich arrangements and the six-girl crew’s fresh, energetic approach to the long tradition of sea song.