STRANGERS

Jo Beth Young, the multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter, presents her second album, Strangers. With a musical style in the gap between Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, she very much commands her own style and sound. Her 2023 tour of UK and Ireland kicks off in Cardiff on 13th October, at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. Finishing in Ireland in November, do catch one of the shows if you can, all at wonderful venues giving splendid atmosphere. These are still tough times for artists and they need our support! The shows promise to bring an original format, with storytelling and a joint venture with fellow folk artist Serious Child. Tickets are available via jobethyoung.com for around £17. I was paying that amount for concert tickets back in the seventies!

So to this, her second album. The collaboration with Martyn Barker for her first album has ended, hence the reduction of the group name to just Rise, as if Martyn was the Talitha in the previous group. For me, Strangers has the same quality of sound and songwriting as An Abandoned Orchid House, with a shift in emphasis towards piano and strings, to which is added once again the delight of Jo Beth's unique vocals. The beauty and musical intelligence from the first album continues, as the main artist here in Rise delivers her music her way.

I rate this album as highly for enjoyment as I do Jo Beth's first, yet in the PA ratings system, I feel obliged to notch it down a peg to 4 stars. I think there are other rather different yet equally good piano and strings albums out there, delivering beautiful progressive melodies and songs, so rather than claim this album to be essential, I will rate it as an excellent addition to any progressive collection. Its unique style and sound are a definite progression from An Abandoned Orchid House. The emotive performances are stepped up, especially in the title track, my personal favourite of any of Jo Beth's songs so far.

There is a good variety of moods explored throughout the 9 tracks on Strangers. The keyboard-strings-vocals triad shifts through dark clouds, radio silence and skysailing on its way to the finale of The Old Sewing-woman's Song. This is the longest and most progressive track recorded by Jo Beth and one of her own personal favourites. It is a beautiful closer to a beautiful album. If you like Kate Bush or any of the songs sung by McVie or Nicks on Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, I recommend this album to you. (rating: 4 out of 5)