MARK TURNER holds on tight for a mesmerising display of Neath-born ragtime virtuosity

Emily Barker
A Dark Murmuration Of Words
(Thirty Tigers)
★★★
AFTER the Memphis Soul of her previous record, the new solo album – the fourth – from Australian-born, now UK-based singer-songwriter Emily Barker is made up of relatively straightforward folk music.
Recorded in Pembrokeshire with John Freeman as producer, there are many accomplished, Radio 2-friendly songs here. The Woman Who Planted Trees is a welcome tribute to Kenyan eco-human rights activist Wangari Maathai, while the Pete Seeger-inspired Where Have The Sparrows Gone? feels like the set’s centrepiece.

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