Released: 05/09

I have a confession to make: I HATE acoustic singer/songwriters. I understand of course there are exceptions - Joni Mitchell is amazing, Richard Thompson is a genius - so maybe I’m not the best person to review Barbara J Hunt’s Play My Heart. Apparently it is; ‘welcome solace in the current climate of an uncertain global future,’ hmm…I’m not sure that the world needs passive folk-pop in times of crisis but I’ll listen with an open mind.

The 14 (!) track album is a re-release to coincide with the terrestrial screening of the film Confetti and has been championed by Radio 2. The title track is a jolly Joni romp straight out of the Ken Bruce play list. It’s enjoyable and shows that Hunt has an undeniably good voice. The arrangements on tracks like I Don’t Believe You and Champagne Man are interesting and reminiscent of the 70s folkists Sandy Denny and John Martyn, and there’s a nice range of instruments used including harps, flutes and mandolins which all provide pretty flourishes now and again. Slower numbers such as Heal Me, More Rain and Goodbye Caroline are more plodding and ordinary. However, I will award extra points for having a track called Hallelujah and it not being a Leonard Cohen cover.

Play My Heart won’t win any prizes for originality and probably won’t appeal to folk purists but it’s a pleasant enough, easy listen album. Lyrically it’s not deep but neither is it cringy but Hunt is a cut above the rest being a talented singer and musician. She wrote, arranged and produced all the tracks which fellow Radio 2 faves like James Morrison can’t claim. Does it make me feel better about unemployment levels reaching 2.2 million? No, but it would make a nice present for my Dad.

www.barbarajhunt.com

Hazel Goodfellow