CRUEL SISTER

Maybe I'm alone on this one, but I actually strongly prefer this one to Basket of Light, which I found kind of, well, lightweight. I felt that album tended to straddle the fence between folk and rock without actually effecting an interesting fusion of the two, so I greatly prefer the approach this time around - which is much more rooted in folk, in particular folk music from times of history, with old and out of fashion instruments and delightful songs about murder, suicide, bloodshed and madness set to beautiful acoustic tunes.

There are of course rock touches here and there, such as the instrumental workouts and occasional eccentric touch that spices up the sidelong epic Jack Orion, and a little electric guitar creeping in here and there to add a little accent, but by and large this is just good meaty folk music performed well. You can keep your Basket of Light; this sinister folk Sister is much more to my tastes.