Folk album review: Mick West

By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jan 2010, 10:51 BST
Updated 24th Jan 2010, 14:54 BST
MICK WEST * * * * * Sark O SnawGreentrax CDTRAX344, £11.99

This masterful album of traditional songs was created over hundreds of years, by many thousands of individuals, and their spirit remains palpable in West's deeply moving and authentically Scots voice. Each of these 11 evergreen songs is given a carefully wrought, modernist accompaniment that dramatises the ballads (Chylde Owlett), conjures mystery (Well Below The Valley) or remains simple and demurely touching (Kelvin's Purling Stream). Go listen to it.

Download this: Bloody Waterloo

• This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday on 24 January, 2010