Bound

Based in Glasgow, Jenn Butterworth (guitar and voice) and Laura-Beth Salter (mandolin and voice) have become a ubiquitous presence on the UK folk scene. After eight years playing together in various bands and projects, including The Shee, Frigg, Dougie MacLean's ‘The MacLean Project’, Anna Massie Band and the recent award-winning Songs of Separation project, they have finally released their debut duet – and a rather splendid piece of work it is. It's a shrewdly considered collection of covers and self-penned tracks. Boo Hewerdine's ‘Wings on My Heels’ is a sweet and tender cover, while Kate Wolfe's ‘The Great Divide’ is delivered with a heartfelt simplicity and ‘If I Had a Lover’ is a fiery version of the Bert Jansch and Jacqui McShee classic. Some expert songwriting is on display too: ‘The Braver One’ demonstrates Salter's fine socially minded voice while ‘1,2,3,4’ captures Butterworth's talents as a tunesmith.

Eclectic, with touches of Americana and Scandinavian influences, Bound is a beguiling debut. Butterworth's guitar combined with Salter's mandolin is a treat in itself, but layer on the duo's atmospheric and affecting voices and something magical happens.