Cycle

The themes of recurrence and circularity stand out in Hazel Askew, Rowan Rheingans and Hannah James’ third album as a trio. It expands upon and extends out from their previous work. James’ tribute to her Aunty Sheila is a beautiful return to the style of the ‘diddling’ (or lilting) songs of their first album, Weave and Spin. ‘Diggers’ Song’ continues the socio-economic concerns found on their second album, May Day, in songs such as Leon Rosselson's ‘Palaces of Gold’.

Cycle begins with ‘Sing for the Morning’, leads into a gorgeous close-harmony version of Richard Farina's ‘Quiet Joys of Brotherhood’ (featuring Rheingans’ bansitar, a hybrid banjo-sitar instrument) and gets out into the world via Hannah James’ lead vocal on Todd Rundgren's 1985 song, ‘Honest Work’. Alongside a secular requiem entitled ‘So Far’, there is a lovely tune dedicated to the springtime, ‘Eostre’. The closing trio of songs begins with ‘Order and Chaos’, a philosophical musing on death via the beauties of physics, followed by ‘The Winter of Life’, collected from a Devonian singer from South Zeal, and ending with a farewell song, ‘Land on the Shore’ from the Shaker tradition. The CD comes with striking art nouveau decoration and informative liner notes, while the music is as strong as anything they’ve done.