| This Little Game | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 February 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2010-2014 | |||
| Venue | Recorded by Tommy Scott and Martin Mitchell in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | |||
| Studio | Mastered by Martin Mitchell at Instant Music | |||
| Genre | Singer-songwriter | |||
| Label | Market Square Records (MSMCD168) | |||
| Producer | Steve Ashley | |||
| Steve Ashley chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Telegraph |   [1] |
| Record Collector | [2] |
This Little Game is an album by British singer-songwriter Steve Ashley. It was released by Market Square Records on 9 February 2015.[3] Ashley's first stripped back solo album, it was included in both The Telegraph and Folk Radio UK's lists of "The Best Folk Albums of 2015".[1][4] The album, which takes the form of a song cycle, is about the circle of life.[5]
Production
The album, which was recorded in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire between 2010 and 2014, was produced by Ashley who, with Mike Weaver, also designed the CD sleeve.[3]
Reception
In a four-starred review for The Telegraph, its Culture Editor Martin Chilton said that the album "shows a craftsman at work...In Your Heart shows he still has a power to move with his songwriting".[1] Paul Woodgate, reviewing the album for Folk Radio UK, said: "This Little Game may just be one of his best".[4] Nigel Schofield, for The Living Tradition, said the album, which "displays Steve's directness and integrity", is "replete with subtlety" and "continues to reward repeat listens, as new light reveals deeper facets and shades".[6]
Kingsley Abbott, in a four-starred review for Record Collector, said: "Just Like The Leaves provides the album’s key track, its rumination on the inevitability of life and death neatly summing up the whole record’s reflective journey. Ashley delivers the material in an intimate and honest manner, allowing listeners to fully appreciate the nuances of his fine lyrics".[2]
Track listing
| No | Title | Lyrics and music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Here's to All the Babies" | Steve Ashley | 2:18 |
| 2 | "Playground Days" | Steve Ashley | 4:17 |
| 3 | "People in Love" | Steve Ashley | 4:30 |
| 4 | "Rainsong" | Steve Ashley | 3:24 |
| 5 | "Summer's Come Again" | Steve Ashley | 3:19 |
| 6 | "That's Why" | Steve Ashley | 6:31 |
| 7 | "Time to Heal" | Steve Ashley | 3:29 |
| 8 | "Be True to You" | Steve Ashley | 3:04 |
| 9 | "Just Like the Leaves" | Steve Ashley | 5:20 |
| 10 | "The Last Deeds of Love" | Steve Ashley | 4:14 |
| 11 | "In Your Heart" | Steve Ashley | 5:35 |
| 12 | "All Will Be Clear" | Steve Ashley | 3:17 |
References
- 1 2 3 Chilton, Martin (30 December 2015). "Best Folk Music Albums of 2015". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- 1 2 Abbott, Kingsley (April 2015). "Steve Ashley – This Little Game: Mature reflections on the game of life". Record Collector. No. 439. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- 1 2 Zierke, Reinhard (24 December 2019). "This Little Game". Mainly Norfolk: English Folk and Other Good Music. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- 1 2 Woodgate, Paul (26 February 2015). "Steve Ashley – This Little Game". Album reviews. Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ↑ Kidman, David (2015). "Steve Ashley Album: This Little Game". Reviews. FATEA. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
- ↑ Schofield, Nigel. "Steve Ashley – This Little Game". The Living Tradition. No. 107. Retrieved 21 February 2017.