Encouragement

Frankie Armstrong has carved out a career as one of the legendary English folk singers, always with a strong political subtext to her song choices. This continues that personal tradition, and she's in fine fettle, accompanied by piano/accordion and crwth (a Welsh instrument) and here and there some backing vocals. As always, the choice of material is impeccable, although neither "Tam Lin" nor "The Poet, The Wife and the Monkey" are new recordings. Although there are a fair few traditional pieces here, with an excellent take on "Demon Lover," there's also a heavy emphasis on more contemporary writers. "Anti-Carol" is a modern alternative Nativity tale, while "My Personal Revenge" is as powerful and chilling a tale as you'll ever hear. The problem is that at times the formality in Armstrong's voice means that the listener doesn't get into the heart of the people who are the subjects of the songs. The lack of intimacy can be quite off-putting, but at the same time Armstrong does inject a passion for the politics into her style. That gives it an unusual but appealing tilt, and there's no denying her power. A good collection from someone who's always welcome back. ~ Chris Nickson|