More Than One

From the very beginning of this album it is apparent that we are dealing with musicians as equally well-versed in old-time Appalachian stylistics as they are in the finer points of classical technique and chamber performance. There are few things cringier than classically-trained musicians playing outside of their comfort zone, but Idumea dispel any fear of this right from the off, with the kind of sensitivity and groove that comes only from those fully saturated in a genre. Taking the form of a classical string quartet, the sound and approach is reminiscent of folk/ classical masters the Danish String Quartet, although Idumea also sing, and the result is something that sounds more like a folk band who happen to form the same line-up as a string quartet, rather than a string quartet who happen to be good at folk music. Idumea was an ancient Levantine kingdom, referenced in the 19th-century manuscript The Sacred Harp – the foundational text of the eponymous singing style from which this quartet take inspiration. The tune ‘Idumea’, paired with the lyrics of ‘And Am I Born to Die?’ is just one astute re-imagining on this record, alongside many other treasures.