Kate Rusby

Good music should energise. Some songs do it physically with rhythm, others intellectually with wit, reason or complexity. But Kate Rusby's music energises on a different level — the spiritual. Her airy voice is motherly yet uncannily sexy at the same time. Her take on traditional English balladry has won her widespread acclaim, mostly for her ability to balance tradition with an original approach. 10 is somewhat a best of, recounting career highlights over the past decade. Her repertoire pairs tradition with original composition, often in the same song, as Rusby contributes new words to antiquated tunes or vice-versa. This collection brings together songs from the albums Sleepless, Cowsong, and Hourglass as well as live recordings, soundtrack pieces from the film Heartland, updated versions of older material and new songs. 10 is a great introduction to an artist soon to be as big in this country as she is in her homeland.