LIFE In A Paper Boat is the 14th studio album by Kate Rusby, newly honoured Freeman of Barnsley, and it is arguably the most significant of a career that will reach its 25th anniversary next year.
Husband and band member Damien O'Kane takes up a prominent role as producer, resulting in a subtle integration of electric guitar, Moog analogue synthesiser and drum programming to complement the more traditional fiddles, accordion, double bass, flute, piano and strings.
Kate, now 42, may not yet stretch her folk palette as far as Adrian McNally takes The Unthanks, but Paper Boat is an assured stride forward, and the songwriting is potent too, ranging from the title track's response to the migrant crisis, through the anti-materialist Only Desire What You Have, to the sad love story of Hunter Moon.
A lovely new tune is allied to the trad The Ardent Shepherdess and the bonus track, Big Brave Bill, is a brass-and-all song of praise to a new Barnsley superhero as perk-you-up as his favourite Yorkshire Tea.
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