Trust Alasdair Roberts to hit us with something new that bears the name of one of the oldest kingdoms in pre-Christendom! Ali's immersive exploration of traditional ballads is not rightly new - see 2005's No Earthly Man and 2010's Too Long In This Condition for other masterful entries in this category - but his possession of the ancient songs always comes with a deft, modern twist. This is at least part of what makes What News such refreshingly contemporaneous listening. Collaborating with Concerto Caledonia... (read more)