Music Arcades: Charlotte Greig: Night Visiting Songs

The third Charlotte Greig album on Music Arcades this year. As I explained in connection with the second, it was after listening to the first that I went to Charlotte's website and ordered all the albums of hers that I didn't already have. This is one of them.

Now if you're still following me, Night Visiting Songs is actually the first album Charlotte released. The overall sound is close to that of Down in the Valley, my favourite of hers. As the sleeve notes put it, "Indian harmonium by Jas Musicals, Mountain dulcimer by E. Bond, Dr Rhythm DR-550 by Boss".

I need more time to live with and absorb this album. All I'll say for now is that Charlotte's original songs — Bury Me is a particular favourite — sit well next to the four that are 'trad. arr.' And I think it's smart that Charlotte, like Alasdair Roberts, makes sure each album has a distinct identity (n.b. not concept!). In this case, the title gives it away, as the sleeve notes again explain: "night visiting songs are, literally speaking, a class of folk ballads in which benign ghosts appear at night to their loved ones, only to vanish again at daybreak." A bit like Genesis's Musical Box, then.

I'm a bit worried by the lack of activity on Charlotte's website. No updates for over a year at the time of writing. Does this mean that her novels and radio plays have taken precedence over her music?