Album review: A Fine Frenzy, Pines (Virgin)

A Fine Frenzy is the nom-de-disque of Californian singer-songwriter Alison Sudol, whose gently keening vocals invoke a strain of Pacific coastal wyrdness.

Her third album, Pines, is an odd, anthropomorphic fable about a tree pining for the chance to make a life of its own choosing, which suggests she may have spent too much time among the giant redwoods; but it's beautifully presented in an absorbing blend of acoustic guitar, piano, cello, and the occasional tint of vibes or ambient colouration, all carried along by the inventive jazz drumming of the omni-talented Jonathan Wilson.

Download: Pinesong; It's Alive; Now Is the Start