Songs from the Seasons

York-based Burnell has spent a year or so collecting and rearranging traditional tunes, releasing a song a week with the aim to reflect the passing of the seasons. The resulting album is a lively one that rubs along together nicely for the most part, although it's when the arrangements are slightly calmer that the whole thing works better. Scottish traditional ‘Two Magicians’ throws plenty at the ear, with Mellotron and electric guitar complementing Burnell's quick drum line but, later, the instrumental ‘Behind the Haystack’, with bouzouki and whistles, is a delight, and ‘Robin Hood and the Pedlar’, with a fairly stripped-back set up, shows his strength in restraint. Elsewhere, the solo ‘Lord Franklin’ is a beautiful mellow oasis and ‘The Banshee Set’, with Rachel Wilson's sweeping violin, is an upbeat dance track. The penultimate piece ‘The Nightingale’, with lyrics adapted from a traditional Danish song, is the standout song here, with a lovely piano line working well with Burnell's yearning vocal. The electric guitar that jumps in towards the end may raise an eyebrow or two, but this musician seems unafraid to be bold, and I’m willing to bet the live tour will be great.