David Karsten Daniels - Sharp Teeth

Alternating between back-to-basics folk and sophisticated whimsy, Sharp Teeth is an unsettling album, casting around for answers and humour in a stark musical terrain. The opening track, The Dream before the Ring that Woke Me, matches lush orchestration with a bleak chant: the music, threatening to erupt, is held down by a somnambulist's refrain. Themes of entrapment and confusion dominate the album - on Jesus and the Devil Daniels can't distinguish between salvation and damnation: Universe of No Parts is a lovely, slow bluegrass lament that both despairs and charms. His deft orchestration, calling on a mini-orchestra of strings and a choir, takes this far beyond a simple reworking of southern folk. American Pastime takes baseball as a complex metaphor for love, displaying a rare wit and eye for detail. Daniels never pulls himself clear of his despond, yet in his misery he has crafted a gently enduring beauty. [Gareth K Vile]