Stephen Cracknell and friends have always taken brave steps with folk music. Sometimes, this has been down to the various cast members (previous Memory Band-mates have included members of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Lamb and Rocketnumbernine) and sometimes it comes from the approach taken by Cracknell to the task at hand. As with previous releases, the fifth album is strong on identity and memory, taking its cue from how songs were distributed and heard in times past at fairs and gatherings, and containing a series of recollections about how the land used to be before the environment was transformed by modernisation and progress. There are strong, emphatic vocal contributions from Liam Bailey, Hannah Caughlin, Nancy Wallace and Helene Bradley as well as a variety of field recordings. Tracks such as The Mason And the Lark, Children Of the Stones and a graceful take on The Bold Grenadier are testament to Cracknell's ability to create a beguiling, powerful work. thememoryband.com