Linda Thompson, Fashionably Late (Topic Records)

SEVENTEEN years after her voice was silenced by a condition that made it impossible for her to sing, Linda Thompson miraculously finds expression again. Fashionably Late, a collaboration with her son Teddy Thompson, is a collection of beautiful and often melancholic songs. The pure and stark folk of The Banks Of The Clyde and Nine Stone Rig stand alongside the jazzy strings of Paint & Powder Beauty, or the jaunty Weary Life, a married woman's lament. Teddy shares lead vocals on a lovely version of Lal Waterson's Evona Darling, while in a rare reunion, Linda is joined by her ex-husband, Richard Thompson, on the opening Dear Mary. Kate Rusby contributes backing vocals to the elegiac Miss Murray, while other leading musicians taking part include Danny Thompson, Jerry Donahue and Kathryn Tickell. Linda Thompson always had one of the strongest, warmest voices around, and it is a treat and a delight to hear her sing again.