Folk Roots, New Routes

Folk Roots, New Routes (1964) pairs Shirley Collins' plain, unadorned English folk singing with Davy Graham's inventive acoustic guitar work. The arrangements blend traditional ballads and songs with modal, blues and world-music inflections, showcasing Graham's distinctive tunings and rhythmic detail and reframing how guitar could accompany folk vocals. The result is a spare, intimate sound that helped broaden the stylistic possibilities of the 1960s British folk revival.