Kate Rusby - Make the Light

In many respects acclaimed British folkie Kate Rusby could be described as the U.K.'s version of Alison Krauss: an exceptionally talented purist whose music has transcended the traditionalism that made her a critical and commercial success. Since her breakout second album Sleepless in 1999, Rusby has arguably become the leading female voice in English folk -- "a superstar of the British acoustic scene" hails The Guardian -- while still maintaining an indie crossover appeal into the modern singer/songwriter realm. Says British pop bible Q, "Folk music doesn't get any cooler than Kate Rusby."

New album Make the Light, out in the U.K. November 22, further burnishes Rusby's cred as writer as well as interpreter, her first album out of ten releases that is 100% self-penned. Much has happened to the 37-year-old performer over the past year -- a new husband, her first child, a new band -- and Light reflects an ambitious turning of the page. Her distinctive voice, a combination of fragile tension and a direct, unaffected soulfulness, is again an utterly convincing, quiet force of nature. "I feel this album is quite different from my others," observes Rusby, "some of it is gritty, some of it is pretty and some of it is a bit wacky! But fun we had making it." Stay tuned for word on a U.S. release.

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Kate Rusby - "Lately" (from Make the Light)

Kate Rusby - "Let Them Fly" (from Make the Light)