The eccentric English folk band The Unthanks is a sensation in its own country and is admired for its authentic and original rendition of both traditional and contemporary material. Named after the sisters Rachel and Becky Unthanks, the band manages to surprise again with the album Last, a fifty-minute atmospheric listening experience full of intimacy and mysterious melancholy. It's as if you were
… in the isolated farmhouse in Northumberland, where the album was recorded. The sisters' hoarse, thin voices sing in a dreamy and graceful way folk traditions, as well as transformative covers by Tom Waits, Jon Redfern and King Crimson. The beautiful arrangements are by Rachel's husband, producer and pianist Adrian McNally. He composed the melancholic title track Last, about the disillusionment of progress thinking: people do not seem to learn from mistakes in the past. Permanent band members Niopha Keegan (violin) and Chris Price (guitar), an extra string section and guest musicians complete the sparse but extremely effective instrumentation. (SvdP)more
