Mount The Air is the first studio album by The Unthanks since Last was released four years ago. - Mount The Air has been two years in the making and the first to be made in their own makeshift studio in Northumberland. It is the first Unthanks record to feature writing from all five core members, including debut contributions from both Rachel and Becky Unthank, as well as continued and more extensive writing from pianist and producer Adrian McNally...

Unthanks take folk music and make it instantly accessible to a much wider audience.

The album contains 11 songs (1 hr, 01 min, 01 sec) and opens with the beautiful 'Mount the Air' (10 min, 34 sec) which incorporates jazz (being very Blue Note-esque in it's construction).

'Foundling' is one of the highlights on this album (especially the long instrumental segment); as is 'For Dad', which opens with the voice of a young Mary and her Irish father, Patrick Keegan from 1978. It's quite a moving tribute to Patrick who died a couple of years ago. The track is a traditional sounding Irish ballard, and is breathtakingly beautiful in its delivery.

This is a wonderfully diverse folk album that is well worth checking out.

9

Nick Smithson