As Kate releases her latest solo album, Awkward Annie, young musicians up and down the country are looking at her as just the kind of role model she has always seen in Nic Jones and Dave Burland.
It's been a decade since Kate Rusby launched her solo career, and since then she's risen to the first rank of English folk artists. 2005's The Girl Who Couldn't Fly brought a maturity to the youthful allure of her music, and with Awkward Annie, Kate returns in powerful form. It's an album that combines emotionally driven originals with traditional songs set to new tunes by Rusby.
Her voice remains exquisite, if more lived-in, so that it demands your absolute attention, and the ensemble's acoustic instrumental settings are absolutely top of the range.