A member of Yorkshire’s Waterson/Carthy folk dynasty, Marry sings in a style reminiscent of her late mother, Lal, and her aunt Norma; strong but plaintive, with a tendency to wistfulness that comes through on this set of originals around the theme of loss. David A Jaycock’s intricate acoustic guitar provides a sweet foil, creating a dreamy atmosphere on New Love Song and a title track about a maiden’s death. Producer Adrian Utley (of Portishead) is content to keep things simple; opener The Vain Jackdaw, based on an Aesop fable, recorded unaccompanied on a rooftop, is delightful, but elsewhere the mood remains relentlessly forlorn.
