Released in early 2016, this inspired collaboration between U.K. indie folk icon
James Yorkston, jazz bassist and producer
Jon Thorne, and sarangi master
Suhail Yusuf Khan weaves together pastoral traditions in an elegant and cerebral set. While English folk, jazz, and Indian classical music aren't necessarily strangers to one another,
Everything Sacred is surprising in how naturally it hangs together.
Yorkston, whose rambling style has never quite had to adhere to such a close-knit ensemble structure, ups his guitar game on these long-form pieces, interlocking delicately with
Khan's fluid sarangi and
Thorne's woody bass. The shared vocals come courtesy of
Yorkston's earthy brogue and
Khan's nimble tenor, which swoops and bends, often seeming like an extension of his instrument. The bulk of the tracks are original compositions with opener "Knochentanz" spanning nearly 14 minutes of slowly developing grandeur. The album's two covers, both of U.K. origin, represent opposing emotional arcs, with Scottish poet
Ivor Cutler's "Little Black Buzzer" providing some playful whimsy and
Lal Waterson's bittersweet "Song for Thirza" going straight for the heartstrings. Whether this is a one-off project or a budding partnership,
Yorkston/
Thorne/
Khan work beautifully as a trio whose combined strengths have built resulted in something quite unique. ~ Timothy Monger