Harpist and composer Mary Lattimore is unveiling her rework of Rosa Canina, taken from First Sounds, the debut collaborative album by Sarah Neufeld, Richard Reed Parry, and Rebecca Foon.
Lattimore, known for her transcendent and evocative solo works, brings her signature sense of intimacy and cosmic spaciousness to the piece. Her reimagining deepens the original’s meditative string motifs, layering them with shimmering harp. Her rework finds her in dialogue with kindred spirits, artists who also inhabit the borderlands between classical form, ambient meditation, and intuitive sound.
You can listen below:
Published post no.2,737 – Wednesday 3 December 2025
It is now 25 years since Kathryn Williams earned a Mercury Prize nomination for the album Little Black Numbers, and 15 since she started the productive partnership with label One Little Independent. In that time her reputation has persisted as a purveyor of quality folk music, exhibiting the “quiet emotional depth and lyrical precision” the press release for this album accurately describes.
For Mystery Park she strips back the sound, but gathers a high-quality team of musicians in the form of multi-instrumentalist Leo Abrahams (guitar, piano, bass, vocals) and guitarists Neill MacColl and Polly Paulusma, all of whom contribute backing vocals – as does multi-instrumentalist Ed Harcourt. Drummer Chris Vatalaro and harmonica player David Ford are also present, as is Paul Weller, credited with Hammond organ as well as vocals.
Importantly, Williams pinpoints the album as the most personal record she has made, featuring as it does her own painting on the cover, based on her grandmother’s tea sets.
What’s the music like?
There is a strong autumnal feel to Williams’ music this time round, the basis of a strong seasonal attachment running through the record like a thread. This is most obvious in the Polly Paulusma collaboration Goodbye To Summer, where the swallows leave and the inevitable question is asked, “how many more summers do we have?”
The personal attachments range from a celebration of her eldest son in Sea Of Shadows but also This Mystery, where she addresses her father’s dementia in moving clarity. Weller’s guest appearance is saved for the striking Gossamer Wings, where Williams’ talents for spinning quite oblique melodies are exploited – as indeed they are throughout the album.
Does it all work?
It does. Williams exudes a quiet confidence, able to express herself with the minimum of fuss but also in a way that draws the listener in to the middle of her conversational ways – by which point they can also appreciate the detailed and often exquisite instrumentation at work here.
Is it recommended?
It certainly is. Kathryn Williams makes music that is all the more beautiful for its subtlety, beckoning the listener over to spend more time in its company. Once there, it is pretty much guaranteed they won’t leave without seeking out more of her impressive discography. This particular listener will be doing just that!
For fans of… Laura Marling, Unthanks, Lisa Hannigan, Joanna Newsom
Listen / Buy
Published post no.2,709 – Wednesday 5 November 2025
This is the third album from the duo of Anna Phoebe and Aisling Brouwer, who have recently bolstered their reputation in soundtrack scores for Savage Waters and The Buccaneers.
They describe their first album since 2021 as “peeling back all the layers we cloak ourselves in until there is nothing left but the source, and discovering the strength that resides there. We wanted this album to feel raw, honest, and intuitive. There are themes of resilience, determination, grit, and an optimism in forever chasing the dawn after dark. It’s the bursting of bubbles and realising how much lighter everything feels without them.”
The single-word track titles are clues to the directness of expression the pair use, and on occasion the pair are complemented by vocalist Imogen Williams.
What’s the music like?
There is a freshness to AVAWAVES that is immediately felt on headphones, which indicates their wish to peel back the layers is an immediate success. The listener is led into wide open spaces, set down and allowed to enjoy the fresh musical air, free of any pretence or expectation.
The title track is purely and deeply felt, Phoebe’s violin played without vibrato and supported by calming piano – and it sets the tone for a purity running throughout the album. Mood secures a range of colours through its imaginative scoring. The violin uses pizzicato, double stopping and subtle inflections to the phrasing, while the doleful piano line is complemented by fuzzy electronics and a solid, quick moving beat. It is, as the pair say, the soundtrack to an imaginary film of the listener’s choosing.
Escape and Raindrop have strong Celtic flavours, the former given a winsome violin line and the latter soft vocals and a free spirit. Crush is synth-based and quite trancey, while Rumour brings the piano forward, its textures mottled and weather-beaten. Sleep Tight is a consoling song, the only one on the album, and is beautifully sung.
Does it all work?
It does. The music builds up in layers but never gets too much – or too cheesy. When used, the beats are especially good, as in the evocative Nightdrive.
Is it recommended?
It is. Heartbeat is an appropriate title for the album, as AVAWAVES make music from the heart, notable for the purity of its expression. Emotional and evocative, it is a rather wonderful listen.
For fans of… Erland Cooper, Ólafur Arnalds, Hauschka, Max Richter
For his new album, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Manu Delago has teamed up with the vocal ensemble Mad About Lemon and a group of other players to present a concept album.
Snow From Yesterday forms a direct connection with the environment, examining the life cycle in all its stages, in close-up intimacy or panning out for widescreen views of the global climate.
What’s the music like?
This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking album, one that often proceeds like a conversation between composer and listener.
Mad About Lemon help greatly with this, their direct lyrics simply delivered but leaving a mark with unanswered questions and observations. Modern People pits the three part close harmony of the three ensemble members Heidi Erler, Mimi Schmid and Anna Widauer together with handpans, its lyrics already considering the stages of life from when ‘the first chicken laid an egg’. Polar Bear notes of how ‘once upon a time, Greenland was white’. Stay Afloat has a darker global overtone, the vocalists intoning the names of big cities with industrial sounds circling ominously.
Musically it is Delago’s widest ranging record yet. As well as the vocals there are colourful contributions from brass ensemble, where Dominik Fuss (flugelhorn), Alois Eberl (trombone and bass trumpet), Christina Lachberger (trombone) and Simon Teurezbacher (tuba) add rich colours. These are often successful, with intricate part writing on Ode To Earth, and a softly voiced coda to Paintings On The Wall beautifully realised. Just occasionally, however, the lines can meander, as they do on Oxygen.
Clarinettist Christoph Pepe Auer adds soft tones to Little Heritage, where he is complemented by the sounds of a baby, while double bassist Clemens Rofner adds greater depth to the sound. Yet perhaps the most affecting track is the simplest, Immersion pitting the handpan against electronics to lasting effect.
Does it all work?
Mostly. On occasion – and especially if the listener is not in the mood – the sentiments can sound a little precious. But this is a very carefully thought-out album, and one where Delago’s feelings about the earth and its direction are realised with a great deal of emotion. The performances are on point, too – Mad About Lemon sing beautifully, and the instrumentalists show a rare sensitivity in their playing.
Is it recommended?
It is. This is Manu Delago’s bravest artistic statement to date, an ambitious work that leaves a powerful impact. A record to grow with and to return to, that’s for sure.
For fans of… Anoushka Shankar, Ólafur Arnalds, Portico Quartet
Manu Delago is closing in on the release of his new album Snow From Yesterday, due on 2 February. Here is another substantial taster from it, a piece written by Manu in tribute to his late step-father.
As his label’s press release described last year, “the Austrian composer, innovator, Grammy nominee and acclaimed percussionist has teamed up with vocal ensemble Mad About Lemon to craft a profound and distinct new concept piece. Manu has become a leading name in his field, touring with the likes of Björk, most recently on her celebrated Cornucopia tour. His trademark handpan virtuosity is the rhythmic lifeforce of Snow From Yesterday, creating majestic, emotive sounds, often with a tender delicacy, for Mad About Lemon’s folksy harmonies to pour over.
Those words capture the mood of the new single – and bode well for the new album, which Arcana will of course review.
Published post no.2,053 – Thursday 11 January 2024
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