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
Murder Ballads cover

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Bernice cover

Bernice

Kaleidoscope
Isle of View cover

Isle of View

Jimmie Spheeris
Harvest cover

Harvest

Neil Young
Ship to Shore cover

Ship to Shore

Richard Thompson
2 cover

2

Carcáscara
All Hail West Texas cover

All Hail West Texas

The Mountain Goats
Notes Campfire cover

Notes Campfire

Souled American