Sarah Neufeld – The Ridge

Sarah Neufeld’s previous outing, Never Were The Way She Was, provided a fascinating conversation between the fluid majesty of her violin and the virtuosic skronk of fellow Arcade Fire collaborator Colin Stetson’s sax; an ugly-beautiful, impressionistic symbiosis that bewitched even as it unravelled. Stetson returns here for her second solo album proper, although this time he’s firmly in the background.

The Ridge uses voice and violin to paint a crisp scenery that feels like the fresh stillness of early morning countryside one moment (They All Came Down), and a jagged storm the next (A Long Awaited Scar).

The presence of Jeremy Gara on drums peppers the record with a likeable melodrama that’ll seem familiar to fans of Funeral or Neon Bible, although this particular record requires much closer listening to fully appreciate its charms. Indeed, it’s perhaps more charming than fascinating overall, but as ever, Neufeld is worth your intrigue. [Will Fitzpatrick]