Heidi Talbot – Angels Without Wings

Irish folk star Heidi Talbot exquisitely combines old and new harmonies for a fifth solo release that beams with grace. The former singer of all-female, Irish-American folk group Cherish The Ladies pours her heart out in her latest work, inspiring listeners to tremble at her crystaline voice that exudes purity.

Angels Without Wings is a true pearl in the folk music panorama, majestically performed, not only by the County Kildare artist herself, but by high-profile folk names as well, including Mark Knopfler, Jerry Douglas, King Creosote, Julie Fowlis and Tim O’ Brien.

The title track and album opener Angels Without Wings is a breezy celtic ballad on humanity and its doomed aspirations, while tracks such as The Loneliest and Dearest Johnny are powerfully poetic. Pride and mourning shine through them, making them the two tracks most likely to be considered the best on the 11-track LP.

King Creosote’s Scottishness on Button Up complements Talbot’s angelic chanting, while New Cajun Waltz is a timelessly charming melody. Tracks I’m Not Sorry and My Sister The Moon make the listener shiver with grandeur, building up to the grand finale with Arcadia, which is a sublime piece of Irish folk where Talbot’s distilled tones shimmer at their best.

A delicate work of art, Angels Without Wings is an album truly worth listening to, achieving moments of forgotten beauty. Splendid.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Verdict: ••••

Eleonora Ricotta

Angels Without Wings was released on 18^th  February 2013. For further information, click here.