Lily Henley
Album: Words Like Yours EP
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 7
Website: http://www.lilyhenley.com

Singer, fiddler and songwriter Lily's debut recording comes armed with prominent endorsement from Bruce Molsky no less, on which basis she should be worth at least a good attentive listen… which she definitely proves. Her striking musical character and high degree of individual accomplishment are clear right from the outset on this bold, upfront collection. Generically, I guess it might best be termed Old World Americana, but additional distinctive elements come into play over the course of this EP, informed by Lily's background and subsequent musical experiences.

Opener Two Birds is the first of four of Lily's own compositions, a sprightly uptempo roots-bluegrass-flavoured number displaying keen perception and containing memorable imagery. It's a good demonstration of Lily's vocal prowess, but it's on later tracks that the special kind of passion in her delivery comes more into its own. What sets Lily apart from other roots-country-oldtime-bluegrass singers is her adoption of the language and rhythms of Sephardic culture, a love and deep understanding of which was fostered during the three years she spent in Tel Aviv. Her blending of Celtic and old-world fiddle and song traditions with the florid, melismatic and heavily ornamented lines of Ladino music makes for a really exciting, fresh and original sound.

It helps too that Lily's backing band - led by Dominick Leslie (from The Deadly Gentlemen) on mandola and mandolin, with fiddler Duncan Wickel, bassist Haggai Cohen-Milo and guitarist Jordan Tice - provides such animated chutzpah. Tracks such as Lily's whirlwind arrangement of the traditional Sephardic song Dark Girl blaze out with fiery picking to counterpoint her achingly intense singing, while her account of Bluz Kna'ani (a song by Israeli s/s Ehud Banai), which closes the EP, employs some duly charismatic vocal assistance from disc producer Omer Avital. None of which highlighting is meant to denigrate the high quality of Lily's own songs, tracks like Hummingbird reminding me of a more earthy Alison Krauss perhaps, but it's on Her Song and Only Once where her personal and unusual blend of influences is arguably at its most persuasive.

David Kidman