Here's the Tender Coming

Songs

The press-gang song "Here's the Tender Coming" (number 3174 in the Roud Folk Song Index) has been recorded by many other well-known folk artists, including Frankie Armstrong and Dave Burland.

"Lucky Gilchrist", the only original song on the album, was also released on 30 November 2009 as a single. Written by Adrian McNally, it tells the story of Gary Gilchrist, who Rachel Unthank knew when she was studying history at university in Glasgow and who has since died. The song includes references to composer Steve Reich and Queen's lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and its musical arrangement has been described as reminiscent of multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens.

Reception

Sid Smith of BBC Music described Here's the Tender Coming as an "astonishing record", "beautiful”, “haunting” and “beguiling". In a four-starred review for The Observer, Colin Irwin said: "This album may not be quite as bleak as The Bairns, and the sound is more sophisticated, but they still sound like nobody else... Tracks build slowly and mysteriously, but all are in service of the song. Their arrangement of the title track − a traditional song about the emotional devastation wrought by press gangs − brilliantly encapsulates the story's fraught desperation. Their version of Nobody Knew She Was There, one of Ewan MacColl's lesser-known songs about his mother, painstakingly paints a similarly dramatic backdrop with more atmospheric brass, and they put their own stamp on the Nic Jones classic, Annachie Gordon." Robin Denselow, in a four-starred review for The Guardian, called it "haunting, original and magnificent". Neil Spencer, for UNCUT, said: "It’s an often exquisite mixture of light and dark, instinct and artistry, that honours both the power of old songs and the stoicism of the lives that shaped them. Rarely has the deep past sounded so stirring, or so modern." The Italian website Ondarock said that by including songs such as "Where've Yer Bin Dick?", "Lucky Gilchrist", "Betsy Bell" and "Because He Was A Bonny Lad" on the album, the Unthanks had "add[ed] panache and verve, following the tradition of the music hall". Gavin Leech, for MusicVice.com, described the album as "a pleasant ride through misery" and praised its "sheer precision", claiming that tracks such as "Annachie Gordon" and "Living By The Water" are "the most polished folk you’re ever likely to hear". Luke Winkie, for DOA (Delusions of Adequacy), said: "Here’s The Tender Coming is incredibly methodical – everything moves at a very deliberate, very planned pace... The album feels very crafted because of it, organized as a true listening experience rather than a collection of songs".

Track listing

1. "Because He Was a Bonny Lad" (Traditional) (2:36)
2. "Sad February" (Graeme Miles) (4:36)
3. "Annachie Gordon" (Traditional) (8:15)
4. "Lucky Gilchrist" (Adrian McNally) (4:52)
5. "The Testimony of Patience Kershaw" (Frank Higgins/The Unthanks) (4:05)
6. "Living by the Water" (Anne Briggs) (6:08)
7. "Where've Yer Bin Dick?" (Traditional) (0:47)
8. "Nobody Knew She Was There" (Ewan MacColl) (5:53)
9. "Flowers of the Town" (Anonymous) (3:06)
10. "Not Much Luck in Our House" (Traditional) (0:48)
11. "At First She Starts" (Lal Waterson/Oliver Knight) (3:38)
12. "Here's the Tender Coming" (Roud 3174) (Traditional) (5:28)

Hidden track: "Betsy Bell" (Traditional, arranged by the Unthanks) (4:14)
Album length = 55:02

The Unthanks

Additional musicians

Production and design

Adam Sinclair was the recording engineer for the album, which was recorded between April and June 2009 at Blast Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne. It was mixed at City Road Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne in June 2009 by the album's producer, Adrian McNally; Darren Hall was the engineer. It was mastered at Skye Mastering on the Isle of Skye by Denis Blackham and Adrian McNally.

The album cover was designed by Helen Thomas and Steven Wainwright, using photographs by Alex Telfer.