Worth waiting for new release from Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman – interesting review from Robin Denselow in the Guardian (see below) – although reference to debut seems to ignore previous releases ‘1’ and ‘2’.
Kathryn Roberts and her husband Sean Lakeman have never had quite the recognition they deserve. They once worked in the band Equation with Kate Rusby and Seth Lakeman, and after those two had left to become folk scene celebrities, Sean later went off to join his brother as guitarist and producer, while Kathryn raised their children. Now they are back, and their debut album as a duo is a reminder that Roberts is a powerful, versatile singer who can switch from thoughtful ballads to stomping acoustic rock, as well as that they are both impressive multi-instrumentalists. They are also excellent songwriters, specialising in brooding horror stories of the supernatural, and in tragedy. The Ballad of Andy Jacobs, backed by Roberts's solo piano, is one of the most pained and successful songs to have been written about the miners' strike. Sean Lakeman's production tends towards the epic, at times annoyingly, but this is an impressive and entertaining set.
