''Dear Companion'' is Espers vocalist

Meg Baird Meg Baird is an American musician based in San Francisco, California, United States, who, in addition to her solo career, is known as a founding member, lead vocalist, and drummer for Heron Oblivion, along with members from Assemble Head in Sunb ...

's first solo album. It was released in 2007 to critical praise. The album contains three traditional folk songs, four covers of more recent songs, and two original songs written by Baird. The album is lightly orchestrated traditional folk music, without Espers' psychedelic and prog influences, dense orchestration, and dark atmosphere. ''Dear Companion'' was recorded at the same time as the Espers album '' II'', at Baird's home in Philadelphia.Murphy, Matthew
Album Review: Dear Companion

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

. 2007-04-30. Two of the traditional songs ("

Willie o Winsbury Willie O Winsbury (Child Ballads, Child 100, Roud Folk Song Index, Roud 64) is a traditional English-language folk ballad. The song, of which there are many variants, is a traditional Scottish ballad that dates from at least 1775, and is known unde ...

" and " Barbry Ellen") also appeared on ''Leaves From Off the Tree'', an album by Baird, Espers bandmate

Helena Espvall Helena Espvall is a Swedish–American musician noted for her participation in the post-millennial psychedelic folk and free improv scenes. Her primary instruments are cello, guitar, and voice."Helena Espvall interviewed and introduced by Buck ...

, and

Sharron Kraus Sharron Kraus is an English singer, songwriter and musician with strong ties to the US. Kraus was born in New York but grew up in Leicester, England. She has lived in Philadelphia and collaborated with American musicians, including Meg Baird, Hel ...

that came out the year before. Two versions of the title song open and close the album, the second one a cappella.

Track listing

#"Dear Companion" (Traditional) – 3:44 #"River Song" by Chris Thompson (http://www.expdev.net/htownwiki/index.php/Chris_Thompson) 2:31 #" The Cruelty of Barbary Ellen" (Traditional)– 6:26 #"Do What You Gotta Do" (

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...

)– 2:48 #"Riverhouse in Tinicum" (Original) – 4:01 #"The Waltze of the Tennis Players" (

Fraser & DeBolt Fraser & DeBolt were a Canadian folk duo, active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its members were Allan Fraser and Daisy DeBolt (1945 – October 4, 2011). Career Allan Fraser and Daisy DeBolt met at a workshop at the 1968 Mariposa Folk ...

)– 3:05 #"Maiden in the Moor Lay" (Original) – 2:26 #" Sweet William and Fair Ellen"(Traditional) – 5:13 #"All I Ever Wanted" (

New Riders of the Purple Sage New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969 and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. The band is sometimes referred to ...

)– 3:20 #" Willie O' Winsbury" (Traditional) – 6:09 #"Dear Companion" – 2:27

Notes

2007 debut albums Meg Baird albums Drag City (record label) albums {{2000s-folk-album-stub