Kathryn Williams
Album: Crown Electric
Label: One Little Indian
Tracks: 13
Website: http://www.kathrynwilliams.co.uk/

A charming tenth studio outing for one of the true treasures of British acoustica and one that should see Kathryn Williams elbow some space at the top table. Ever since the turn of the century Williams has been honing a quiet talent for marrying folk music with pop hooks and a beautifully evocative vocal style - not least on the crying-out-for-radio treatise of Heart Shaped Stone.

As with so much classic British songwriting there is a ready strain of melancholy running throughout, whether drawing parallels between Elvis Presley's pre-fame job driving trucks for the Crown Electric power company and lost love affairs in Gave It Away, or watching the rush hour pass by in Underground. In Williams' hands the prosaic details of a humdrum day take in immense significance, particularly on tracks like the heartfelt Arwen, a beautifully breathy duet with James Yorkston.

She's no slouch on the musical front either as the delicate twists and turns of Darkness Light amply attest. It's one of three collaborations with Ed Harcourt and all the evidence needed to know Kathryn is ready to rise to the challenge of mainstream success.

The strings plucked and gracefully bowed on Count - together with its Abbey Road leanings and deadpan vocal - are clearly in thrall to a very British approach to music making, as opposed to the American flavours that are once again informing so many younger singer songwriters. Not that she's discounting anything - the bluesy trumpet on Out Of Time nods to Chet Baker's work with Elvis Costello but is resolved with possibly the most crystalline vocal on the record; while Monday Morning could be the best Damon Albarn song he never wrote.

A word also for the players - music soul mate Neill (son of Ewan and Peggy Seeger) MacColl producing and playing guitar, Lamb's Jon Thorne on double bass and Cinematic Orchestra's drummer Luke Flowers with strings arranged by Ben Trigg (Dexys, Arctic Monkeys). Quality will indeed out and it fair bursts from this record at every turn.

Treat yourself and wrap your ears around this as soon as you can.

Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk