Giant Sand

Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss is a special recording. Here is a collection of a baker’s dozen haunting and atmospheric slices of Americana, enhanced by sparse production and exquisitely understated musicianship. The Plant fellow is on restrained form and the numbers benefit from his tender and thoughtful interpretations. Krauss possesses a beautiful voice, its clarity reminding me a little of - don’t mock - sixties song thrush Mary Hopkin. Both voices complement each other splendidly and some of the harmonies are ethereal, subtle and rather magical. Not one note is wasted; every second is exceptional. A pleasure.

Here’s hoping for fine weather this August. A trickle of artists has been announced to play this summer’s Green Man Festival. Super Furry Animals are headlining on the Saturday. Here is a band that has slipped under the Cole radar so I’ll be keen to examine the back catalogue before heading west with my inflatable double mattress. Richard Thompson is appearing too and will no doubt be commanding the ‘legend’ slot that the aforementioned Plant so superbly assumed last time out.