elaine palmer

Waves

Elaine Palmer first emerged via an album for Clint Boon's Booney Tunes imprint, which eventually led to live performances with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Adem and King Creosote, as well as appearances at an assortment of folk festivals. This follow-up long-player was recorded at Manchester's Analogue Catalogue studio with backup from members of Lambchop. In all honesty there's nothing jarringly original or searingly new about Waves, yet Palmer is not easy to dismiss. She might be another in a long line of folk chanteuses plying her acoustic trade with a softly spun vocal, but these songs are enormously likable and incredibly hard to prise yourself away from. Fans of Beth Orton will appreciate the arrangements, but there's also a bit of a Norah Jones factor to all this, which might be a little mild to the tastes of those of you who like you're acoustic balladry tinged with a hint of darkness.