Album review: Odette Michell ‘The Queen of the Lowlands’

At first, it’s tempting to think that folk artist Odette Michell might be singing about herself on the title track of her second album – she’s from Cambridge – but the song turns out to be a tribute to a first world war troop ship, one of several songs here with a maritime theme. Michell has an instinct for a narrative – all the songs here are originals – which, together with her bright voice, won acclaim for The Wildest Rose, her 2019 debut. Lowlands is a confident step on, its songs steeped in tradition but not trapped by it.

Flowers, for example, is a greenwoods murder ballad with a twist, co-written and sung by Daria Kulesh, one of several guest appearances. The lilting Hourglass strikes a winning partnership with Scotland’s Calum Gilligan, and The Woodlark & the Fieldfare calls on Dorset duo Ninebarrow. Michell strays from the fields and fells elsewhere. St Helens honours a distant grandmother and her 1850 escape from Dublin to Liverpool. Lady Constance pays tribute to Irish suffragist Constance Markievicz. Closest to home is All the Bonny Ships, which celebrates Michell’s Polish grandparents, separated for seven years by the second world war before reuniting. Highly enjoyable.

The Queen of the Lowlands by Odette Mitchell is released by Talking Elephant 

Photograph by Redwood Photography