Withered Hand, Kathryn Williams – ‘Wish’ (from ‘Willson Williams’ LP)

Another record where the sum of the parts is even greater than what one might have expected the whole to be. In isolation both Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand have made records that have held me enthralled and with ‘Wish’ they manage that and then some. These are songs of exquisite aches, of grown-up anxieties shot through with teenage growing pains. If that sounds horrifically emo, it should be stressed that the songs and the sound here is tempered by a deep seated and often celebratory love of folk structures. Americana touched with an Alba anguish. Top notch.