Untitled

A lost album from 1979, Untitled was recorded by the American singer, banjo player and guitarist Hedy West at the end of several years spent in Germany, shortly before returning to the US. The collection spans English, American and German material and features Tracy Schwarz of old-time revivalists the New Lost City Ramblers playing guitar, banjo and fiddle on several tracks.

While West's banjo playing is terrific throughout, Untitled is a hard album to enjoy due to her rather mannered approach to singing. ‘I'll Sing a Song’ demonstrates her emotionally charged but overly stylised approach at its most extreme; there's scarcely a line that she doesn't put through the elongation mangle, as if on a mission to give every word an off-kilter phrasing. These were always elements of West's singing style, but were far less pronounced on the many highly enjoyable albums she recorded for Topic and Vanguard Records in the 1960s. The stark beauty of West's banjo introduction to ‘Queen Jane’ is transfixing, sounding almost Middle Eastern, but when her vocals kick in it's the same old story. However, both ‘Hobo's Lullaby’ and ‘There'll Be No Distinction’ feature cosy harmonies from Tracy and Eloise Schwarz, resulting in more in-keeping vocals and an old-time ‘family gathered round the table’ vibe. Still, this album isn't the best introduction to West.