Leveret - Lost Measures

Rediscovering centuries-old tunes in dusty manuscripts, at times pairing them with original compositions, and performing them with their refined style and their almost telepathic interplay; this is what Leveret, namely melodeon player Andy Cutting, concertina player Rob Harbron, and fiddler Sam Sweeney, excel at. In their sixth studio album Lost Measures they give us another sample of their mastery with eleven new tracks combining old and self-penned material.

Their ability to float around each other, combining variations and fancy harmonies, is immediately introduced from the first track and, as one could expect, is the core of the entire release. In a varied collection of jigs, waltzes, minuets, hornpipes, and reels, there is still room for a few meditative passages, like the bright Dutch Skippers and the pensive Ianthe that sets the stage for the epic last tune Aphelion.

The most remarkable track is perhaps the one that includes the spectacular Untitled Minuet, on which the three musicians really give their best in shaping multifaceted harmonies, diverging from the tune only to come back to it in graceful and yet unexpected ways, just like the complex architecture of a fan vault, and the bright A French Minuet.

Throughout the work, one can feel the excitement of Cutting, Harbron, and Sweeney as they save these tunes from their obscure exile to give them a new life with their distinctive care, thoughtfulness, and talent. Alternating them with original compositions only helps to give them a new popularity.

Just as on their previous work, this album combines tradition and modernity, respect for the sources and improvisation, to craft glowing soundscapes characterised by a fluid and delicate approach.

The unmatched chemistry among the artists, the rich and multi-faceted, almost baroque, musical patchwork, the wise and yet adventurous choice of material all help make Lost Measures a new masterpiece in Leveret’s discography.