'Drum Hat Buddha' is an astonishing album - in a year when many of the big folk and singer/songwriter names are releasing albums, this disc looks likely to tower above them all.
The follow up to last years excellent 'Tanglewood Tree', this new album is more ambitious - it covers a broad range of musical styles and is as lyrically diverse as anything you're ever likely to hear. Even with the massive variety on offer the disc has a cohesive feel, the 12 songs gel together really well - they flow seamlessly into each other but still manage to create an album full of contrasts.
Lead vocals are shared equally at 6 tracks each, but it's when they sing together (which is on most tracks) that they are at their best - the voices work together so well, producing perfect harmonies, and adding extra dimensions to the songs.
There are far too many high points to cover here, but 'Ordinary Town', '236-6132' and 'Tillman Co.' cover the range of styles on the disc, and are representative of the consistency of quality throughout the album.
Trying to pigeonhole the disc into a style is difficult - it's a mix of folk, country and singer/songwriter, it's mainly acoustic with most of the instrumentation coming from guitar, fiddle and mandolin.
Whatever category the disc falls into, the fact is that this is a superb album and one that will appeal to just about everyone. If you only buy one disc this year, make sure it's 'Drum Hat Buddha' - a truly exceptional album. 

£12.99