Little Lights

1	Playing of Ball 3:34
2	I Courted a Sailor 4:03
3	Withered and Died 4:03
4	Merry Green Broom 3:25
5	Let the Cold Wind Blow 5:21
6	Canaan's Land 3:54
7	Some Tyrant 5:10
8	William and Davy 4:09
9	Who Will Sing Me Lullabies 5:23
10	Matt Hyland 5:02
11	My Young Man 8:15

Barnes & Noble

Britain's hottest folk-singing discovery is a diminutive lass from Yorkshire with a wry sense of humor and a unerring talent for shameless intimacy. Kate Rusby's third solo album, Little Lights, mixes hoary old folk ballads with tunes of her own creation -- which are practically indistinguishable, so steeped is she in the traditions and so modern and personal is her approach to the old songs. Brought up in a family ceilidh band, she was briefly a fiddling member of the all-girl Brit folk band, the Poozies. Now her solo career is off to a flying start, winning one of the 12 Mercury Music Prizes for Best British Albums of the Year in 1999. The BBC named her Folk Artist of the Year in 2000, but the real prize is ours for the listening. There are plenty of what Rusby dryly refers to as "castle-knocking-down songs," but her art doesn't end there. One luminous example: her tribute to her grandmother's devotion to her now-senile coal-miner husband, "My Young Man." It's eerily unaccompanied at first, then tactfully supported by members of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, describing the heartbreaking end of a loving, hardworking life. Cheerily tragic and woefully funny, Rusby can write -- and sing -- with the best of them. Emily King

All Music Guide

Kate Rusby won over American audiences in 1999 with her second release, Sleepless, an album of traditional-styled songs with simple arrangements that highlighted her best quality: a lovely, middle-range voice, vulnerable without being waifish. Little Lights continues in the same mode, mixing old ballads with originals and throwing in an occasional contemporary piece. "Merry Green Broom" and "Some Tyrant" are simple and tasteful, continuing Rusby's commitment to the images of old England, while "William and Davy" and "I Courted a Sailor" kick up the tempo a bit. A number of guests, from Tim O'Brien to Danny Thompson to Alison Brown, make appearances, and John McCusker once again lends a hand to the production. A slightly different arrangement featuring brass adorns "My Young Man," complementing Rusby's relaxed style and calling to mind Norma Waterson's approach on Bright Shiny Morning. While there are no bad cuts on Little Lights, there probably isn't enough variety. With a couple of exceptions, the songs unwind at a leisurely pace, and most hover around four minutes. There is nothing quite as lovely and lively as "The Cobbler's Daughter" and "Sweet Bride" from Sleepless. Although more variety would have helped, Little Lights is still a solid effort. Fans will enjoy it, and it will also serve as a good introduction to those unfamiliar with this lovely English singer. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.