Ninebarrow - The Hour of the Blackbird

The sixth outing by acclaimed Dorset duo Ninebarrow is a recollection of 13 songs from their previous work, enriched by the addition of a robust choral tapestry provided by over 40 voices, namely Surrey’s Country Singers and Hampshire’s Hart Voices.

The album touches on great classics like Hey John Barleycorn, explores political themes in lyrics like Under the Fence, and often delves into poetic descriptions in which nature and the human condition interweave, such as Nestledown and Come January. The introduction of the choirs is the real masterstroke of this release, as it gives more depth and a cathedral-like atmosphere to these renditions.

On tracks such as Summer Fires and Names in the Sky the lush, polyphonic swell of the choir provides light and dynamism without overcrowding the recording or shadowing the duo’s lead vocals and the harmonies they build. The real peak of the album is arguably the spectacular Sailors All, in which the full energy and the multi-layered architecture of the choirs provides a definitely poignant, almost pastoral atmosphere.

The Hour of the Blackbird is a deeply comforting record, a sublime, soaring triumph of bucolic elegance, and a sample of the exceptional talent of these two young artists.