Waters Wide

Somewhat of a supergroup, Koral Society comprises Caroline Trettine on guitar and lead vocals, Mosi Conde on kora and Alison Rayner on bass. A former singer with the alternative rock group The Blue Aeroplanes, Trettine achieved cult success in the 90s with her album Be a Devil on Billy Bragg's Utility label. Conde is a hereditary griot musician from West Africa and performs solo as well as with his band Kaira Kora Afrika; his world-class kora playing has met the ears of the great and good, including Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. The third member of the group, Rayner, has worked with jazz greats such as Tal Farlow and Jean Toussaint.
Together on this album, the three musicians create a sound-world that soothes and speaks directly: Trettine's breathy voice is carried along by sonorous bass, rippling kora and her own steely guitar. Sparse percussion can be heard on a couple of tracks here and, varying the timbre slightly, Alison Rayner and Mosi Conde (in French and Mandinka) occasionally join Caroline Trettine on vocals. While there is nothing particularly adventurous on this record and the tone remains soft throughout, Waters Wide is a nice collection of songs with some lovely accompaniment.