The Queen of Hearts

Offa Rex comprise English singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney and US indie rockers The Decemberists; Queen of Hearts is the result of Chaney having supported them on tour, which led to sessions in Portland that produced these 11 generally outstanding performances. Now, Offa Rex, he was an old, old king… and there are some regal old songs made fresh here. There's an account of ‘Sheep-Crook and Black Dog’ that sounds like Black Sabbath and the band brings harpsichord to the table for the opening title-track, while ‘The Gardener’ mixes strings and guitars below Chaney's perfect enunciation. A hazy drone supports a fine account of ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, while ‘Flash Company’ is a mesh of guitar, fiddle and organ that's redolent of the best of 1970s British folk-rock hooked up with loose-limbed Americana. The song's warning of moral decay and a beauty that fades away has rarely sounded more attractive. There's a tune set in the best Albion Band style, while the old ballad ‘Willie o’ Winsbury' is as spectral and haunted as Anaïs Mitchell's account in her Child Ballads album. Tie a yellow ribbon around this release – it's an Anglo-American folk classic.