Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

Child Ballads

Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer

Child Ballads

The Vermont folk singer-songwriter teams up with guitarist and singer Jefferson Hamer for a collection of Francis Child's 19th-century British ballads

ADM rating[?]

7.3

Label
Wilderland
UK Release date
11/02/2013
US Release date
19/03/2013
Listen on Spotify
Related Links
Last.fm Myspace Wikipedia
Share
Share |

  1. 10.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    The playing is exquisite, the singing vibrant, the arrangements like jewellery. It is absolutely beautiful
    Read Review

  2. 8.0 |   The Independent

    A deeply satisfying album, steeped in mystery and enchantment
    Read Review

  3. 8.0 |   Uncut

    The frequently repeated refrains help imbue both the fatalistic quality of the ballads, and a pop-conscious melodic familiarity which brings them in line with modern pop practice
    Read Review

  4. 8.0 |   The Observer

    With archaic language updated by transatlantic twang, it's a winning addition to the canon
    Read Review

  5. 8.0 |   Mojo

    She unexpectedly proves that her precious storytelling art is equally mesmerising on the great traditional ballads

  6. 8.0 |   The Arts Desk

    Anaïs Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer take liberties with the lyrics, as all their predecessors have done - but with a freshness that comes from bringing love and awe to works of abiding genius that merit perennial re-invention
    Read Review

  7. 8.0 |   BBC

    These songs are dense and knotty yet relatively immediate affairs that unfold over several minutes
    Read Review

  8. 7.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The great gift of these ballads is the broad scope of interpretation they inspire and sustain, in some cases centuries after they were first sung
    Read Review

  9. 7.0 |   Pitchfork

    These characters, made flat by design and even more by time, spring into full dimension, ache and grieve and flirt, live and die and get born again
    Read Review

  10. 6.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    The sparse arrangements and repetitive melodies don’t invite the ear in nearly as closely as Mitchell’s recent LPs
    Read Review

  11. 4.0 |   The Guardian

    Mitchell's bright, cute voice and the pair's shiny guitar playing feels too exquisite and overproduced, more about style and sound than the timeless material
    Read Review

  12. Back to main chart

blog comments powered by Disqus
buy it at amazon download it from itunes

Watch it

Roll over video for more options

Hear it

Preview & download it

Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer: Child Ballads

  • Download full album for just £5.53
  • 1. Willie of Winsbury (Child 100) £0.79
  • 2. Willie's Lady (Child 6) £0.79
  • 3. Sir Patrick Spens (Child 58) £0.79
  • 4. Riddles Wisely Expounded (Child 1) £0.79
  • 5. Clyde Waters (Child 216) £0.79
  • 6. Geordie (Child 209) £0.79
  • 7. Tam Lin (Child 39) £0.79
  • Service provided by 7Digital

Latest Reviews

The Beths  Straight Line Was A Lie

They’ve made their most mature, most incisive album yet. Not reinvention. Continuance. The long way round, mapped with clarity Dork

Baxter Dury  Allbarone

Allbarone is the next destination for Dury as an experimental artist; he’s successfully been able to capture something new with his twist on hyperpop. The result is an intriguing effort that catapults him into the future realms of pop Beats Per Minute

Baxter Dury  Allbarone

Allbarone is Baxter Dury’s most hypnotic and groovy record yet, fusing his sardonic wit with club-ready beats. Distinct, contemporary, and utterly Dury, the artist’s ninth album proves he’s far from running out of ideas Northern Transmissions

More reviews

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.

  1. 9.3

    Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly

  2. 9.2

    Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters

  3. 9.1

    Kendrick Lamar Damn.

  4. 9.1

    D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah

  5. 9.0

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen

  6. 9.0

    Spiritbox Tsunami Sea

  7. 9.0

    Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure

  8. 8.9

    Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways

  9. 8.9

    Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree

  10. 8.9

    Frank Ocean Channel Orange

See full list