Shirley Collins - LodestarThe return of Shirley Collins after a 38 year silence. Lodestar is a collection of English, American and Cajun songs dating from the 16th Century to the 1950s, recorded at Shirleys home in Lewes by Stephen Thrower and Ossian Brown of Cyclobe and produced and musically directed by Ian Kearey. Though Shirley Collins (MBE) has been absent from the music scene for many years, her impact has not diminished. The likes of Graham Coxon, Jonny Greenwood,

the album features hypnotic basslines

This third album follows her rediscovery - after thirty years in the wilderness - with the 2000 re-release of 'Just Another Diamond Day' (a cult classic that made number 53 in the Observer Music monthly's 'top 100 British albums of all time')

but it's a collective vision

Taking its cue

particularly in genres that lacked hifalutin arty pretense

is a testament to Sufjan's songwriting

and yet falls deeper into a hole of mystical obscurity

These evocative demos were perfected by Reilly at Graveyard Studio with co-producer Stuart Pickering

"A lot of the groups around town would have to incorporate that disco sound or you'd sound totally dated

blooming into free-flowing melodies in their own right

Ed Sheeran)

Barbara Mason