Too Long In This Condition

Alasdair Roberts has been using his solo career to make his case as one of the finest folksingers of the British Isles. His voice is so well-suited to traditional folk classics such as “Barbara Allen,” “Long Lankin’” and “The Daemon Lover” that it’s as if he’s been with us for centuries, or at least since the days of Bert Jansch. So evocative are these tunes of the old ways that it feels like a shock to the system to see a “2010” copyright on the recordings. The melodies are here for the taking and Roberts duets wonderfully with Emily Portman on “Little Sir Hugh.” Fiddle player Alastair Caplin adds an authentic whipping to the sessions. Elsewhere, Tom Crossley joins in on flute, Christine Hanson colors with cello, and the drums on “The Burning of Auchindoun” add a deathlike pulse to this raucous basement tape. “What Put The Blood On Your Right Shoulder, Son?” ripples with ancient days haunting its lines. There isn’t a false note here. Roberts, quite simply, is a leading practitioner of folk music through the ages.