Sharron Kraus - The Woody Nightshade (Strange Attractors Audio House)
Sharron Kraus shouldn’t need much of an introduction for those savvy to folk circles, as she’s deemed a high priestess of the 21st century folk revival, and has received much critical acclaim over the past decade. 

Kraus has her roots firmly planted in both English and Appalachian folk traditions, and she clearly leads on from female heavyweights of the genre, such as Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs, Sandy Denny, Judy Collins, Joan Baez and early Joni Mitchell. The electrified folk of “The Woody Nightshade” is traditional sounding with the occasional foray into regions more acid. Her recent associations with Espers’ Meg Baird and Helena Espvall have clearly left their mark, especially on “Nothing” with its added analogue circuitry.  Thematically it’s songs of love, of death and love lost (“Nothing”, “Once” and “Traveller Between The Worlds”), of free love and infidelity (“Two Brothers”), of betrayal (“The Woody Nightshade”) and dangerous love - possibly even paedophilia (“Teacher”). 

In the best folk tradition, darkness enshrouds the proceedings with Kraus’ vocal and her supporting musicians delivering an ageless work of out and out purity and precision. Overall “The Woody Nightshade” could be benchmarked with Fairport Convention’s “Liege and Lief.”
www.myspace.com/sharronkraus

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