Full Review

Martha Tilston – Lucy and the Wolves

One of the UK’s most distinct and individual singer/songwriters, she was nominated for best new artist in the 2007 BBC Folk Awards for her excellent ‘Of Milkmaids and Architects’ album. Here on ‘Lucy and the Wolves’ she’s further developed her delicate sonic landscapes and poetic lyrics even further and has produced a charming and captivating collection of 11 songs.

Martha has a beautifully clear voice, which keeps its power even at low volume levels; it’s an ability that gives the album an immediacy and warmth that makes it feel like an old, well loved album even on the first listen.

The lyrics are a mixture of her own take on life and experiences – she writes in a style that feels much more personal than most of her contemporaries. There appears to be very little cold analysis of situations here, these are songs that come from the heart and they move from a conversational to a poetic feel throughout. It’s a style that creates songs that are easy to relate to and some that are obviously personal experiences, but whatever form they take there’s a disarming charm to washes over every single song.

Musically, it’s a delicate mix of acoustic guitar, violin, piano, cello and more provided by her band (‘The Woods’), with occasional outside support across a few tracks including Maggie Boyle’s flute and harmonies on ‘Wild Swimming’

‘Lucy and the Wolves’ is a beautifully constructed distinctly English album, the sounds, subject matter and even vocal delivery feel rooted in the bucolic rolling fields that make it stand out in a sea of modern UK contemporary albums.