It's 17 years since last new release, and while it's taken some time, this is an album that has certainly been worth waiting for.
'Fashionably Late' is one of the finest contemporary British folk discs for many years, 9 of the 10 tracks here are originals written or co-written by Linda, but they have a timeless feel both musically and in the lyrical themes. As with much traditional material, the songs here tend to be dark and morose - from the tale of a homesick prostitute ('On the Banks of the Clyde'), to the story of a young couple which develops into a murder and then a suicide ('Nine Stone Rig'). While the approach and themes are fairly traditional, the disc never really feels like a traditional folk disc, and it will have wide appeal with both folk and singer/songwriters alike.
The list of musicians on the album is amazing - Kate Rusby, Richard & Teddy Thompson, Eliza & Martin Carthy, John Doyle, and Kathryn Tickell are just a selection from the list.
As you might expect there is some wonderful acoustic guitar work on show here - there's musical detail in abundance, but it never detracts or distracts you from Linda's vocals, the narratives comes across loud and clear.
Stark and dark it may be, but this is one of the finest discs of the year - the quality of the songwriting and performances is exceptional, and it's full of high points from start to finish.

£12.99