Isobel Campbell

Arriving on the heels of her stunning collaboration with Mark Lanegan, Ballad of the Broken Seas, this third solo collection finds the former Belle & Sebastian vocalist going deeper into the mystic realms of British Isles folk. Admittedly inspired by traditional singers like Anne Briggs and Jean Ritchie, Campbell has taken that simple blueprint and cobbled together a mix of ancient tunes and ancient-sounding original tunes, which easily stand alongside other neo-psych-folk gems by Devendra Banhart, Six Organs of Admittance and others. Her fragile, childlike voice, while often not suited to the storytelling needs of some of the songs she chooses to cover, still floats gorgeously amid the strains of acoustic guitars, dulcimers and cellos, creating an overall intoxicating experience. In the end, the words become secondary anyway, as the sound of Milkwhite Sheets evokes what the siren’s song must have been. I’m certainly prepared to do anything Campbell wants me to do after first listen.