Basket of Light

Released

If nothing else, The Pentangle understood the value of a good tie-in – Basket Of Light’s opener, “Light Flight” was the theme song for BBC1’s Take Three Girls, introducing the group to a wider audience by stealth. If the first few Pentangle albums were attempts at marking out territory – how do these five stellar musicians intend to go about combining folk, blues and jazz, really? – Basket Of Light is where it all coheres, with the frisky joy of “Light Flight” and the regal mantra of “Once I Had A Sweetheart” early highlights, though the core of Basket Of Light is a run of songs that suggest new possibilities for folk song – “Lyke-Wake Dirge” and “The Cuckoo” are lovingly performed, full of refracting colours and acoustic psychedelia; “Train Song” unravels across bumpy railway tracks, careening across the terrain. Lesser musicians would make a hash of this generic hybridity; but the quintet here are lyrical, flexible, steadfast.

Jon Dale

Suggestions
Sea Glass cover

Sea Glass

Susan James
Artaud cover

Artaud

Pescado Rabioso, Luis Alberto Spinetta
Harvest cover

Harvest

Neil Young
Jack With a Feather cover

Jack With a Feather

Spriguns of Tolgus
Shoot Out the Lights cover

Shoot Out the Lights

Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
Trips Und Träume cover

Trips Und Träume

Witthüser & Westrupp
Lightfoot! cover

Lightfoot!

Gordon Lightfoot