The Moral of the Elephant

With singer/fiddler Eliza Carthy already two decades into her own career, it's a bit of a wonder how she and her folk legend father Martin Carthy managed to avoid making a record together as a father/daughter duo. Sure, there have been numerous family collaborations under the Waterson:Carthy banner alongside Martin and mother Norma Waterson, but 2014's The Moral of the Elephant carries its own unique charms. Succinct and elegantly simple in its execution, Elephant is very much the type of British folk album with which Martin first made his name back in the '60s and early '70s. Acoustic guitar, fiddle, and both solo and shared vocal performances make up the entirety of the 11 mostly traditional selections. Rather than turning in a collection of sweet vocal duets or fiery fiddle/guitar sets, the Carthys have birthed a far more subtle creature full of thoughtful, often moody fare and beautifully understated musicianship. It's hard not to hear echoes of her mother's distinct voice in Eliza's nuanced, earthy delivery on tracks like the stark "Grand Conversation on Napoleon" and her beautiful interpretation of the wistful, recently unearthed Molly Drake (mother of folk icon Nick Drake) ballad "Happiness." Matched with Martin's gracefully time-worn voice on the haunting six-minute centerpiece "The Elephant," they seem like two troubadours lost somewhere in time. As musicians, both father and daughter are at the top of their game, playing with a richness and hard-won grace that can only come from a lifetime of experience. A late-career gem for Martin and a mid-career milestone for Eliza, the first family of British folk have managed to deliver a classic in its field.