Basket of Light

Released

If nothing else, The Pentangle understood the value of a good tie-in – Basket Of Light’s opener, “Light Flight” was the theme song for BBC1’s Take Three Girls, introducing the group to a wider audience by stealth. If the first few Pentangle albums were attempts at marking out territory – how do these five stellar musicians intend to go about combining folk, blues and jazz, really? – Basket Of Light is where it all coheres, with the frisky joy of “Light Flight” and the regal mantra of “Once I Had A Sweetheart” early highlights, though the core of Basket Of Light is a run of songs that suggest new possibilities for folk song – “Lyke-Wake Dirge” and “The Cuckoo” are lovingly performed, full of refracting colours and acoustic psychedelia; “Train Song” unravels across bumpy railway tracks, careening across the terrain. Lesser musicians would make a hash of this generic hybridity; but the quintet here are lyrical, flexible, steadfast.

Jon Dale

Suggestions
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere cover

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Crazy Horse, Neil Young
Freedom and Rain cover

Freedom and Rain

Oysterband, June Tabor
Sea Glass cover

Sea Glass

Susan James
Liege & Lief cover

Liege & Lief

Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention cover

Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention
Midnight Cowboy cover

Midnight Cowboy

Various Artists
The Concert for Bangladesh cover

The Concert for Bangladesh

Various Artists, George Harrison
Unhalfbricking cover

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention
Bert & John cover

Bert & John

Bert Jansch, John Renbourn