While Mortals Sleep

Picking up where 2008's Sweet Bells left off, Barnsley's finest folk singer/songwriter Kate Rusby's eleventh studio album, While Mortals Sleep, continues her quest to revive the traditional carols of her beloved South Yorkshire. Like its predecessor, there are a few universally known hymns, such as a gorgeously contemplative rendition of "Little Town of Bethlehem," an appropriately dreamy take on the Czech lullaby "Rocking Carol," and a breezy accordion-led interpretation of "Seven Good Joys," while there are also exquisite performances of songs that derive from the likes of Cornwall ("First Tree in the Greenwood"), Dorset ("Shepherds Arise"), and Wales (New Year's anthem "The Wren"). But the songs synonymous with her Northern roots are where her delicate and wistful tones are at their most affectionate, whether it's the joyously uplifting opener of Yorkshire's unofficial national anthem "Cranbrook," the slightly melancholic village carol "Diadem," or the jaunty folk of Sheffield's "Kris Kringle." While its slightly sluggish pace occasionally evokes the feeling of having scoffed too many mince pies, its suitably wintry acoustic style, provided by her regular three-piece backing band, and the wonderfully nostalgic accompaniment from the Brass Quintet Boys ensure that While Mortals Sleep should warm the cockles of even the most miserly of Scrooges. ~ Jon O'Brien