Album review: Heidi Talbot, Angels without Wings (Navigator)

Heidi Talbot, Angels without Wings (Navigator)

Heidi Talbot employs an engaging blend of ancient and modern on Angels without Wings, embracing traditional folk forms within a sleek modern production involving the discreet use of such stellar players as Mark Knopfler and dobro king Jerry Douglas.

Underpinning many songs is a yearning for the security of fellowship and affection – the title-track, a jaunty Gallic-tinged waltz, celebrates humanity's higher aspirations of care and protection, while the desire in “The Loneliest” is for a more personal security of devotion. Elsewhere, the King Creosote duet “Button Up” tracks emotion in meteorological metaphor, while “Dearest Johnny” and “I'm Not Sorry” offer traditional and modern expressions of assertive self-reliance.

Download: Angels without Wings; Button Up; Dearest Johnny