Before I Knew What Had Begun I Had Already Lost

For Jon Wilks’ fourth album he has broadened the sonic palette of 2021's spare Up the Cut, adding Jackie Oates’ viola, as well as electric guitar, keys and double bass on some tracks. This adds texture and a charming looseness to songs like the original ‘Greek Street’, while bringing a sense of fun to pieces like the traditional ‘Haymaking Song’. Oates nearly steals this one, with warm backing vocals and a cracking viola line.

The songs with just guitar and vocals provide a lovely contrast, the pick being the quite beautiful ‘Lofty Tall Ship’, taken from Sam Larner's a capella version. Wilks’ sometimes plaintive vocal lends itself well to this one, as it did to ‘The Stowaway’ from Up the Cut, another Roud selection, and his precise guitar frames it nicely.

‘The Old Miner’ is a more daring piece, with hand claps, overlaid vocals and low bass adding drama, while songs like ‘Johnny Sands’ are unashamedly energetic, without going too far. You could argue that the electric guitar and percussion on ‘Will Watch’ is a touch heavy, but for the most part this set hangs together well and has plenty of confidence and musical prowess.