Twelve years on from her debut, the long-awaited second record from Little Sparrow is with us. Feather Moon contains a mix of the familiar and the brand-new for those who've followed her flight since Wishing Tree with one constant - a show-stopping voice that carries the emotion of the words and brings them to vivid life.
For those not familiar with Little Sparrow, it is the alias of Katie Ware, an operatically trained singer. Accompanied by a range of musicians including Sarah Dale on cello, Mitch Oldham on percussion and Jonny Lexus (best known as a co-writer with Paul Heaton) on guitar, she's been making music for well over a decade now, her rare live performances building a word-of-mouth reputation. Like so many independent musicians though, life gets in the way so Feather Moon is a long-time in the making - its final track Alone was released five years ago teasing this album and many of the songs on the record will be known to those who've been fortunate enough to be present at those shows.
Corner Of The Room is one of those songs; a love song written from the point of view of a spider in its web wishing to put itself in the human's place for a day. Unusual storylines abounded on Wishing Tree and on Feather Moon that hasn't changed. Alone is based loosely on the Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones, My Ghost Lives On is told from the view point of a dead woman haunting her ex from the grave, whilst Tears is a very old song written by her father back in 1984 about imagining being in space. The subject matter gives the song across Feather Moon an other-worldly feel with the stunning instrumentation adding drama and intrigue to the songs whilst allowing Katie's voice to rightfully take centre stage.
Two songs - Memories Maid and Dry Your Eyes - are re-recorded from EPs that followed the release of Wishing Tree and both benefit from the more adventurous and expansive arrangements of the album. Both deeply personal evocative songs, they flourish with the strings accentuating the emotional tension of the songs. Those strings take on a different role on Old News, a stinging critique of the here today gone tomorrow instant gratification desire of modern life, as they take the lead and dictate the pace of the song, a spirited jaunty number that stands out from the other songs for this reason. Tears similarly has the strings building in intensity as the song progresses, especially towards the end as the tension becomes so taut that you think it's about to snap.
The previously unheard songs are a real treasure too. Follow Me starts with layered vocals from Katie and Sarah that create an electric tension that slowly dissipates as the song reveals itself, the strings creating a sense of longing that reflects the song's lyrical content. Highest Hill starts with an effect that feels like it's moving backwards and forwards toward to the listener and holds them in thrall to discover where the song is going to take them next. My Ghost Lives On feels like real heartbreak for the storyteller looking back on her past life, full of regret that is amplified by the strings that sit beneath Katie's vocal.
Feather Moon is a real hidden gem, the second long-awaited album to emerge this year following Janileigh Cohen's As A Child which underwent a similar prolonged gestation period. It feels like a labour of love, a record made against the odds and out of the joy of the creative process. Across ten meticulously crafted songs that tug at the heartstrings and stir an emotional response, Little Sparrow and her nest of musicians have created an album that draws you into the stories and grips your attention with fascinating storytelling and dramatic musical shifts.
Little Sparrow launches Feather Moon at Manchester 53two on 29th May - tickets available here - and also plays Davenham Players Theatre (June 20), Mold The Tin Shed (July 10), Leamington Spa The Temperance (September 27) and Coatbridge The Georgian Hotel (October 2).
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