Renny Jackson’s latest album began its journey on a dusty shelf in a second-hand bookshop. A well-thumbed copy of The Nation’s Favourite Love Poems, based on a BBC Radio 4 poll, caught his eye –and at £1.99 it was worth the risk. Years later, in the midst of personal crisis, he would turn to this anthology and find within it solace and inspiration that would form the lyrical basis for his most intimate record to date: Low on the Sand and Loud on the Stone.

From this period of intense change and growth there emerged a collection of songs exploring love, death and nature, tied together with some of the finest poems in the English language. From Emily Dickinson’s ‘He Fumbles at Your Spirit’, a powerful call to the creative force within us through to Lord Byron’s uplifting and exalted ‘She Walks in Beauty’, the songs chart a journey through love in all its rich, complex and beguiling ways.

The album is indebted musically to British and Irish folk singer-songwriters, particulary of the 60s and 70s, with Jackson’s compelling vocals combining with delicate acoustic guitar and haunting piano to create an immersive soundscape. Fans of Nick Drake, John Martyn and Richard Thompson will delight in the fingerpicking and soulful delivery of Jackson’s distinctly English vocals.

Indeed, it is in the spirit of these legendary songwriters and era of recording that the decision was made to record the songs live at Tempo Studios in Seville where Renny lives. The aim was to capture the raw essence of the songs, sacrificing “perfection” for intimacy and honesty in the recording. The choice of a nylon-string Spanish guitar over a steel-string, as well as paying homage to his adopted culture, captures a fragile, gentle timbre and draws the listener in to the essence of the songs. The use of piano on just two of the tracks, itself a nod to Nick Drake’s sparse use of piano on ‘Pink Moon’, is the only change in palate and emphasises the nature of these songs as ballads

The title Low on the Sand and Loud on the Stone is taken from the penultimate line of the last track, which takes as its lyric Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘Maud’. It describes the echo of a carriage’s wheels on soft and hard surfaces as guests leave a party at dawn, an image Renny makes a metaphor for the two sides of love and life in general: the rough and the smooth, the gentle and the disconcerting, the pain and the elation of the human condition. The title also serves as a point of closure, the departing carriage itself a metaphor for the end of an important chapter in Renny’s life.

Track Listing and Poems

‘Go Now’ – Edward Thomas (1878-1917)

With the unforgettable opening line “Like the touch of rain she was”, ‘Go Now’ is a beautiful and concise poem about the parting of lovers. Thomas’ use of nature to capture the unique and delicate qualities of his lover, combined with the monosyllabic “Go Now” hit the listener hard as a painful declaration of the end of a relationship.

‘She Walks in Beauty’ – Lord Byron (1788-1824)

One of Byron’s most famous poems celebrating the beauty of his lover at dusk. Apart from capturing the physical beauty of a woman in the magic of twilight, the poem also celebrates the serenity and inner peace we all wish to find in our lives and in others.

‘He Fumbles at Your Spirit’ – Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

One of the most incredible descriptions of creative or divine inspiration, this poem charts the journey of the creative spark from a playful fumble to scalping your “naked soul”. At turns gentle and harrowing in its imagery, Dickinson embodies the artistic process as a spiritual activity.

‘Go, Lovely Rose’ – Edmund Waller (1606-1687)

Waller’s famous poem implores a rose he sends his lover to die as soon as she receives it, showing how brief life is and the need to make the most of the moments we are afforded. The use of the Dorian mode in the musical arrangement of this piece emphasises the ethereal nature of the poem.

‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ – William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Yeats’ famous poem is a cry from “the deep heart’s core” to be at one with nature and to be at peace with solitude. This poem is representative of the Celtic Revival and to this day is printed in Irish passports.

‘Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night’ – Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)

A poem with no need of introduction, Thomas’ famous villanelle is one of the greatest anthems to life in the face of death in the English language.

‘When I Was One-and-Twenty’ – A. E. Housman (1859-1936)

Taken from The Shrophsire Lad, this famous poem describes the naivety of youth when we enter love. Despite the unheeded warnings from a “wise man”, the poem indicates we are destined to suffer in our romantic relationships.

‘Oh Mistress Mine’ – William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

This playful lyric taken from Twelfth Night is a celebration of the beginnings of love and encapsulates the intoxication of a new relationship. Similar to many of the other poems on the album, it is also a timely reminder to live life in the present moment.

‘When We Two Parted’  – Lord Byron (1788-1824)

Another of Byron’s most famous poems, ‘When We Two Parted’ describes the sadness, pain and shame one can feel at the moment of separation. The musical arrangement for this poem is based on the traditional Irish melody ‘She Walks Through the Fair’, a prominent tune in the 1960s and ’70s folk revival.

‘Dear Lizbie Browne’ – Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

A tale of unrequited love that Hardy captures with playful and tender words, Lizbie Browne embodies a figure of feminine beauty and freedom “bred outdoors”. The lament of unrequited love expresses acceptance and even humour which balances the pain of rejection and helps the reader come to terms with their own similar experiences.

‘To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time’ – Robert Herrick (1591-1794)

In this poem Herrick implores us to recognise the brevity of life and to harness our best years. The melody for this arrangement is a direct reference to the traditional Scottish tune ‘The Wild Mountain Thyme’, capturing the timeless quality of the poem with an instantly recognisable motif.

‘Come Into the Garden Maud’ – Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892)

This poem from ‘Maud’, Part I by the Victorian Poet Laureate describes the end of a party and the desire to turn away from the noise and gaiety of the festivities to find peace and tranquillity. The imagery is self-consciously excessive to recreate the giddy headiness of love; nevertheless, the floweriness of the language cannot obscure the beauty and serenity of a moment of transition, of night turning into day.