Philip Ancher – Follow the Will-O-Wisp
This is Denmark artist Philip Ancher’s 2nd LP. Though he’s from far away he always wanted to pursue musical interests as a singer-songwriter. He joined rock bands & sharpened his skills in various genres: blues, rock, pop, American country & folk music with classical elements. Philip inserts true Americana embellishments with banjo, fiddle, mandolin, grand piano & acoustic guitars.
So, this pensive journey through Copenhagen folk music without foreign distractions is filtered by a voice that has sung & seen things differently from average American or English folk singers. Produced & arranged by Mr. Ancher Follow the Will-O-Wisp (Dropped Dec 29, 2023–Independent) is a 16-cut collection that isn’t so much sugar-coated rock music as compositions that are whiskey flavored with cinnamon. Yeah, that’s it. Give me double.
Ancher (lead vocals/guitar) loads the first track “Little Ripples” up as a solid wall of sound rocker sweetened by the luscious melody but enhanced with muscle in his excellent Boz Scaggs-type rock voice. The lead guitar runs plugged into the ocean (see the video) what a power source!
Despite the pop stylizations, it leaves us with a prominent masterfully arranged & performed. His showcase has the pathology of progressive rock, the control of folk & the scent of pure ’60s rock instincts. It’s mainstream-strong, commercially suffused & just wonderful. The way popular tunes once lit a fuse in rock radio. The lyrics grease the wheels of the melody with poetry. His voice is well-distinguished & it’s all superb music…no, that’s not right. It’s a superb performance.
“Boogie Man,” is a bit more novelty-oriented. Ancher whips out a flavorful recipe that’s textbook perfect & follows that with the lovely “This Ain’t Love,” that’s articulate & catchy.
The Americana genre comes in with a breeze as banjo sparks as a 1-2 beat hammer out the tongue-tied title “Alliterations & Intertextuality.” A short yet foot-tapping folky marvel. Impressive. But it doesn’t stop there — he adds the creative “Join Me On the Porch,” & “Forget About You Each & Every Day,” all jewels. Can you smell the jerky in the smokehouse, hay bales & moonshine?
“The Sun, the Moon & the Stars,” captures a pop-folk variable. Easily danceable. Philip has perfect intonation; each song has excellent phrasing & a warm tonality. Beautiful balladry pours from his voice on “Waiting At the Door” “You Don’t Believe In Magic” & “I Miss You Already.” True musical artistry resides in the work of Philip Ancher & his musicians.
Highlights – “Little Ripples,” “Boogie Man,” “This Ain’t Love,” “Alliterations & Intertextuality,” “Join Me On the Porch,” “The Sun, the Moon & the Stars,” “Waiting At the Door,” the Celtic-inspired “Honey, You’re Spilling All Over,” “You Don’t Believe In Magic,” “I Miss You Already” & “Forget About You Each & Every Day.”
Musicians – Steffen Schackinger (acoustic & electric guitars/Bouzouki/mandolin/cello), Jane Clark (violin), Thomas Moller (piano/keys), Dan Rasmussen (bass), Dennis Pedersen (drums/Bodhran) & Winni Ellegaard Nielsen (bgv).
Color image courtesy of Ancher’s Facebook. CD @ Amazon & Apple + https://www.philipancher.com/
