South Wales and Mississippi are not obvious cousins, but the experiences of Al Lewis and Alva Leigh – respectively of those parishes – entwine seamlessly on Rubble, a song that laments the social devastation left by closed mines and Hurricane Katrina. The duo have the vocal harmonies to match, led by the strikingly pure voice of Leigh, and given the lightest of touches from guitar, bass and drums. The pair started to write after meeting in London, though their lodestone is closer to Nashville – there’s a touch of Gillian Welch to songs like There Is a Light and 4.19. They sing for the lost and lonely – hence the title, presumably – but the songs and harmonies carry as much sweetness as sorrow.
