Simple Soul

Now with a fine catalogue of solo work behind her, Simple Soul confirms her as a singular contemporary talent, an observant songwriter with the added ability to imbue her wry observations with breathtakingly pure emotion.

'Lucky Penny' evokes thoughts of Emmylou Harris in its rural plaintiveness. 'The Wanting Kind' exudes a jaunty Paul Brady feel, with some heart-warming acoustic guitars and a rhythm to tap the most recalcitrant toe.

'Adam' is a robust lumbering acoustic blues which smells of the open road, while songs like 'Wolves', the gently soaring 'Simple Soul', the delicious 'Blues Run The Game' and the graphic portrait of loneliness 'Footsteps Fall' evoke memories of more established songwriters of the vintage of Paul Simon and Christy Moore.

But with the eastern-tinged 'Prodigal Daughter' Reader turns in a serious gem that deserves to be heard and sung for decades to come.

Only rarely does Reader's commitment to high standards slip, with the vocals on 'Eden' very poorly double-tracked to no benefit and for no apparent reason. But such cavils are few.

A simple soul, perhaps, but no less tantalising for all that. Dare one use the word, but this is nigh on "perfect".