Sharon King And The Reckless Angels
Album: Nothing = Everything
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.sharonkingmusic.co.uk

Whilst being described as a 'national treasure' by a former Scottish minister for enterprise and tourism may be a bit of a double edged sword, there is no disputing that Sharon King And The Reckless Angels have a real cutting edge and it's one that allows their music to travel well.

Sharon King has been releasing for well over a dozen years now in different guises. This is the first with the Reckless Angels, who are named after her previous album, which was released as Sharon King And The Neverever Cowboys. The Reckless Angels themselves are made up of Amy Geddes (Tarras) and Vera van Heeringen (New Rope String Band) and as a whole they fly in a loose bluegrass, old timey, Americana formation, well as a starting point.

"Nothing = Everything" takes those three elements and then adds a Scottish touch to them. It's one of the things I like about folk styles they are always evolving. Sharon King is an award winning songwriter and on this showing it's not hard to see why. There is a sound within the songs, not accent, more of a note, in tasting whisky type note, that gives this album a degree of separation from the American versions of the same genres.

The album is infused with subtle harmonies, that are enhanced by the picking nature of mandolin parts bringing out the individual notes which fuse into a delightful whole against the elegant fiddle and guitar parts. The result is a sound that has a deceptively laid back feel, but not so laid back that you are distracted from the words.

Whilst there are a lot of references to myth and lore on the album, each song is more of a vignette into lives and communities in their native Scotland. Personally I think it's the relationship songs, such as "The Lion And The Unicorn" which seems to work on a level, not just for interpersonal feelings, but also as a metaphor around the interaction between states.

In places "Nothing = Everything" is quite a dramatic album, vocal and fiddle giving the album a sense of urgency and a nice variation of pace. Sharon King And the Reckless Angels know their stuff and give the album a sense of vitality as well as a feeling that homespun is beginning to change a genre.

Neil King