Nancy Elizabeth’s second album with the Leaf label achieves a sense of endless space and stillness that makes your surroundings disappear. From Greater Manchester, Nancy Elizabeth temporarily escaped to Aragon to write in solitude. The organic hand clapping in ‘Lay Low’ and vocal layering in ‘Feet of Courage’ is redolent of Steve Reich’s minimalist tendencies, and adds edge to earthy meditation. The piano’s melancholy chords whisper underneath Nancy Elizabeth’s outpourings of emotion, with lyrics such as “don’t run away, please don’t follow” trembling like vulnerable apologies. ‘Canopy’ feels as if you’ve returned to the elements, as glistening cymbal taps brush the skin like long grasses. Wrought Iron soothes as the warmth of Nancy Elizabeth’s voice sails through your ears and you drift on this ethereal river of sound.

Emma Wood