It's All True

Rome-based, London-born singer/songwriter Sylvie Lewis knows how to write a contemporary folk song. And her producer, Richard Swift, knows how to keep things simple and dignified, recording It's All True in a week at his Oregon studio. Her own material tells stories worth hearing. "Kindness" is informed by the idea that poet Sylvia Plath still was lucid enough to put out milk and bread for her children on her final day. "Streets of Rome," featuring guitar from Sondre Lerche and The Ondanueve String Quartet, floats like a dream through the ancient city. "Gocce" furthers the Italian connection, with a piano-based rendition of the Bobo Rondelli and Stefano Bollani tune. "Give Me the Roses Now" is a rewrite of an old folk song, where Lewis revises the words and music for modern ears while retaining its ageless quality. "The Song I Sang Before I Met You," cowritten with U.K. electronica star Gary Go, adds a speck of rhythm for a welcomed diversion. "Leaving, for the Last Time"—a tune written in response to seeing an exhibition of William Blake's etchings—sports cheerful handclaps for a homespun feel.