Kathryn Williams - The Quickening

After a decade's worth of exceptionally fine new-folk albums, a Mercury prize nomination and stacks of glowing reviews, Liverpudlian songstress Kathryn Williams continues to fly, inexplicably, under the radar, known and loved mainly by a loyal legion of U.K. fans and smitten critics. Forthcoming new album The Quickening, arriving in Europe February 22 (no U.S. release yet), may set the record straight with a new label - One Little Indian - and some excellent pre-release buzz ("the most accomplished album of her career", trumpets Wears The Trousers). New project follows her wonderful 2008 collaboration with Neil MacColl - Two - and most recent '07 solo album, the brilliant Leave to Remain. "It has a mood," says Williams, "a slightly sinister palette with lyrics that are raw. I see myself in these songs a lot..."

In order to capture the immediacy of a near-live recording, Williams not only assembled a backing band for the recording without sharing the songs beforehand, she also insisted in keeping the songs to a maximum of three takes. Recorded in just four days - Quickening, indeed - the dozen new songs have a wonderfully direct, minimalist feel without sacrificing the natural, casual lushness of the instrumentation or hushed, understated tone of her singing. We're enamored immediately of "Noble Guesses", a song that draws from the John Martyn/Nick Drake school of melodic pop/folk while the more jazz-tinged "Cream of the Crop" brings an interesting change of pace. Highly recommended.

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Kathryn Williams - "Noble Guesses" (from the album The Quickening)

Kathryn Williams - "50 White Lines" (from the album The Quickening)

Photo Credit: Amanda Searle