A recent release reviewed

JENNY AND MARTIN SCHAUB
Kite High
West Of Music ***

Distance can conjure either gross over-indulgence or a tendency to tackle music of a traditional hue as if it were porcelain. Swedish duo Jenny and Martin Schaub, both members of West Of Eden, too often err on the side of china collectors on this gathering. Kite High's real strength lies in Martin's original compositions, his fiddle, piano and guitar stitching intricate lines in between Jenny's all-too-wholesome vocals. Screaming for more backbone, this collection would have benefited from a sharper ear at the production desk to winnow the maudlin from the occasionally sublime. Pin-pricks of light shine through Martin Schaub's delicious The Road To Ravello, an ode to the Amalfi Coast that valiantly attempts to capture the magnificence of the place, and almost succeeds. www.westofeden.com