Jo Mango – Murmuration

It’s been six years since Jo Mango last released a full album. The Glasgow-based songwriter has been far from idle in that time, collaborating with artists as diverse as David Byrne, Roddy Woomble and Teenage Fanclub. But perhaps the most important influence on Mango has been her time spent in the touring band of freak-folk Godmother Vashti Bunyan.

Her lyrical style and at times beguiling arrangements are similar, but Mango’s haunting child-like vocals are unquestionably her own, rendering songs like lilting lead single Cordelia all the more affecting. At times Adem's production might feel a little slick for purists, and not quite every song can match the mesmeric, lofty highs of benchmark opener The Black Sun, but there is no doubt that this is an album expertly crafted by an unusually gifted talent. In the crowded field of contemporary folk, Murmuration is the living, breathing proof that Jo Mango is standing that bit taller than the rest.