Some things in music are timeless, and it takes less than a minute of Lavinia Blackwall’s The Making for a smile to break across your face. The opener, ‘Keep Me Away From The Dark’, bursts with folky warmth and melodic sunshine, proof that the artist remains as spellbinding as ever.
From her days with Trembling Bells to stand-out solo work and countless guest appearances, Blackwall has long wrestled ghosts of the past, shining them up and sending them out anew.
Here, she draws from 70s British folk, blending classic sounds with optimism and the oddities of everyday life. There are sweet refrains and fair maidens, but also flickers of mischief and unease just beneath the surface.
Maggie Reilly (of ‘Moonlight Shadow’ fame) adds sparkle to ‘My Hopes Are All Mine’, but it’s ‘Morning To Remember’ that lingers: jaunty on the surface, yet laced with debt letters, kerbside underwear, and overflowing bins. Misery, dressed in its Sunday best.
That sweet-and-sour dynamic gives The Making its lasting charm. Closer ‘Sisters In Line’ concludes in grand style, all brassy swagger and vaudeville edge, before easing to the finish with the singer in all her glory.
And through it all, Blackwall’s voice remains the star: rich, radiant, and always leading the way.
The Making is out now via The Barne Society
