So for some years now I have written about Ms Sage’s releases, enjoyed her company at eateries when she is over from New York and attended several live performances…here comes the joke…but once again I look through the lengthy Thank You album credits and once again, I am not included. Er…an oversight? OK no more gags about the album title, a new set of songs is ever-welcome from this Queen Of The Night. This time, I believe more songs are guitar-inspired but there are keyboard outings in abundance.

Sage’s core crew of Kelly Halloran, Ward Williams, Andy Mac and others Is supplemented by several other players and singers, depending upon the needs of the song. Oh and in passing the green-based artwork is really striking, a cool touch.

First number Alive has an almost Crazy Horse electric guitar but instead of the Warbling Wizard, here is Sage with a conspiratorial vocal as she dreams up various Utopian scenario’s. It’s great to hear her so invigorated and focussed and..youthful.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the better works of Kate Bush or Suzanne Vega should be switched on to Rachael Sage. Spark is softer but no less alluring. There’s a whiff of Lewis Carroll about this one, sprightly but shadowy in its cadences.

No One Is To Blame is a Howard Jones composition. It’s pastoral in this incarnation, with elegant violin. The recording makes it sound like Sage is singing into your ear with a springheeled intimacy, if there can be such a thing. A lovely melody informs this song and a distant touch of Joni, perhaps. Olivia has an urgency running through the woods ambience with a romantic lyric that nags at the listener. These songs do put fleeting sepia images in your head. The guitar break is almost savage.

Myopia the title cut has a trippy density and stately piano. The singing is comfortable, confident but retaining soul. On to Sympathy Seed exploring the bass end of the piano on a ponderous beat with sunshine passages here and there. Baroque piano rolls into earshot and away.

Daylight is another semi-whispered dreamy description of a romantic situation (dilemma?) which I think hinges on the worry of reacting to a partner’s moves the ‘right’ way..though I can hear her distant laughter if I have this wrong! Maybe She’ll Have Cats starts solemnly, immediately lightened by the sweet airy singing. Haunted By Objects is the eeriest song with handclaps I have heard – again we seem to be Through The Looking Glass. Kind of unsettling.

This Darkness is a guitar-led elegiac song with the best singing in this programme. I would have had a trumpet on this, with some delay. Umru Mayne rocks out on fuzz guitar,,I cannot fathom what is about. Snowed In plays with reverb and soft flanging and a winterlight vocal, definitely reminding me of the swirling sensuality of Vanessa Daou..no bad thing! Tomorrow is slow and steady, a philosophical lyric shot through with optimism and a glowing melodic rise and fall, Sistersong 2018 is a bonus cut being a toybox-beat uplifting piece as good as anything here.

A mysterious and beguiling collection of songs, the pick of this scribe being Olivia.

Pete Sargeant