Yorkshire-born Hield brings a robust approach to English folk song, with a voice that can nonetheless soar when necessary. Where 2010's Looking Glass left her vocal powers largely unadorned, this second album has rich arrangements from a stellar crew that includes accordionist Andy Cutting, concertina player Rob Harbron and fiddler Jon Boden (Hield's partner). On a diverse selection from the wellspring of tradition, they move easily from the muscular The Lover's Ghost to the dreamy delicacy of Sir Orfeo, a medieval take on the Orpheus myth, and a forlorn The Cuckoo. Hield's command of her material is unerring and the outcome compelling.
