Corinne's debut disc 'Bound for the Living' picked uprave reviews both here and in the US, and her name and
popularity has grown steadily and organically over the past threeor four years, to the point where this has become a
widely anticipated release both here and in the US.
Falling somewhere between bluegrass and folk, she is an artist who uses her excellent vocals and star-laden band to great effect; it's striking that despite having Jerry Douglas, Darol Anger, Tony Furtado and Mike Marshall making up most of her band, the disc is all about her voice and the songs, rather than an exercise
in the virtuosity of the assembled musicians. In fact it's a surprisingly quiet and understated, and this gives her distinctly sweet and clear vocals the chance to shine through and for the stories in the lyrics to be heard - there are plenty of places where the assembled cast get chance to show of their skills, but it's all in context and in the appropriate place.
The 11 tracks are a mixture of up-tempo pieces and slower ballads, but the constants throughout are West's evocative vocals and the quality of her lyrics which tell their stories in both a direct and poetic way - there are some memorable and thought-provoking songs here; standout tracks include 'Hand Full of Gold', 'Roses to Rust', and the excellent 'Cabin Door'.
The production from Marshall is excellent, and the whole disc is really understated and perhaps harks back to a simpler style of American music where the vocals and words were the driving force, and for being brave and eschewing the current trends for overblown production this disc deserves to be heard.
There aren't many artists working in this style, but the thoughtful stylings of folk mixing with bluegrass give it Appalachian feel, but that's not quite the right description as it a distinct and unique atmosphere - labels aside this is a fresh sounding disc, full of strong, moving songs and put together by some of the finest musicians you could wish to hear.

Track listing
1 Second Sight
2 Hell yes
3 Hand Full of Gold
4 Cabin Door
5 Gandy Dancer
6 Roses to Rust
7 Lost and Found
8 Eye of the Storm
9 Diamonds to the Wind
10 All Good Things
11 Writing on the Wall

£12.99