Vera van Heeringen - Standing Tall (2012)

An assured, timeless debut from the Dutch bluegrass guitarist/singer, featuring Tim O'Brien and Andy Seward amongst its stellar cast of musicians. Debut album from Dutch bluegrass guitarist/singer Vera Van Heeringen promises much and delivers in spades. Delightfully understated and with an assured, timeless grace, 'Standing Tall' is a showcase for Van Heeringen's self-penned songs and virtuoso bluegrass guitar playing, enriched by a stellar cast of guests that includes Tim O'Brien (Kathy Mattea, Kris Drever) and Andy Seward (Kate Rusby Band). Produced by Andy Bell (Spiers & Boden) and mastered by Dirk Powell (Eric Bibb, Transatlantic Sessions), it is bold, modern bluegrass shot through with nostalgia and bittersweet melancholy. Says O'Brien, "Vera can play anything with strings, write fine songs and sing them too." Among the album's highlights is a delightful take on the Carter Family's "Lulu Walls", driven along by the interplay between Van Heeringen's guitar, Dave Proctor's mandolin and Jock Tyldesley's fiddle, swapping solos with practised ease and timeless grace. Elsewhere, the heart-rending "In Love With Someone Else" is among the most subtle, elegantly understated pieces of writing you're likely to hear this year.