Sings and Plays
by C.Strøm

Not Available
File under: folk, old time, outsider folk

This is a collection of recordings by Norwegian Singer-Songwriter and traditionalist Christian Strøm. It includes his early studio recordings as well as his home recordings of American folk songs.

Limited to 55 cds in a silver or gold printed Stumptown Arigato Pak. Comes with booklet, inserts and a bonus download of the complete Bedlem Blues demos.

Rather than create a chronological tracklist, I realized that my selection of songs already narrated a story. One of a heartbroken person who leaves their country and sets sail to find the promised land on the other side of the Atlantic. I decided to follow this thread and pair songs from different periods which illustrate this nautical journey and the sea.
One song may sound shiny and clear like the calm sea and others are rowdy rides through a song with waves of noise washing over the arrangement, its lyrics inaudible like the distant shouts from a distressed sailor.

It is impossible not to be inspired by the sea where I am, if not lyrically, my rhythm is from the sound of stoney shores meeting the watery waves.

--C.Strøm

C.Strøm - Playlist

Tracklist

  1. When You're Alone
  2. Dreamless in the Night
  3. Sound of the Willow'd Soul
  4. Green Grows the Laurels
  5. I Have Heard of a Land
  6. Sail Away
  7. Seaside Stories
  8. My Great Clipper Ship
  9. Michael Row the Boat Ashore
  10. In the Wide Open Country
  11. Waves from a Piano-Forte
  12. The Old Maiden's Song
  13. Lady Margareth & Jack O'Diamond
  14. Graveyard Stomp
  15. Don't Speak to Me
  16. A Rainbow Division
  17. Stolen Memories
  18. Frail Wildwood Flower
  19. Red River - Go Dig a Hole in the Meadow
  20. Short Overtune (Instrumental)
  21. The Ninety and Nine
  22. In a Mist Where Sunlight Lingers
  23. I Want to Go Home

Tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 14, 22 from Bedlem Blues, 2003/2004
Tracks 3, 23 from Letters From Earth, 2003-2013
Track 4 from Minute Menuettes, 2013
Track 18 from Recoilogy 2008-2007, 2008
Track 5 from I Have Heard of a Land, 2014
Track 11 from Hello Calypso!, 2013
Tracks 13, 15 from Grave Tunes, 2013
Tracks 9, 16 from New Grave Old Tunes, 2013
Tracks 7, 10, 17 from Solitary Instrumental Confinement, 2015
Tracks 12, 20 from While We Wait, 2015
Tracks 19, 21 from Pastoral Underground, 2016

All songs written and arranged by C.Strøm unless stated otherwise.

Credits: Scottish Folk Song (04), James Moore (05), Caribbean Folk Song (09), C.Porter / R.Fletcher / Rearr. C.S. (10), Sea shanty (11), Traditionals (12, 13, 16), L. Kimborough (15), Norwegian Traditional (17), Webster / Irving / Carter (18), E.C. Clethane / I.D. Sankey (21)

Recording by C.Strøm
Production by Marcus Obst

Feedback

Just received Sings and Plays the other day — enjoying it immensely! Thank you for your work in putting this out in the world!
Hard to pin down what is so captivating about Strom’s songs. Combination of the fidelity, his voice, the looseness, and his fantastic strumming and thumping. I don’t listen to much traditional folk, but his versions are so vibrant, honest, and playful — very hard to resist!
I liked reading your notes, especially concerning his original songs. In a Mist Where Sunlight Lingers and Sail Away are striking and open up new dimensions for his music. Selfishly, I would love it if he tried recording more of his own songs again.
The packaging was so thoughtful and interesting!
— Micah b. Oakland, CA

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