Over the course of nearly 20 years and a discography full of gems,
Josephine Foster
has quietly stayed on the outskirts as one of the strongest talents of her wave of American folk music. Songs guided by her trembling yet powerful voice serve as a link from '60s outsiders like
Karen Dalton
and
Patty Waters
to
Foster
's underclassmen like
Weyes Blood
Big Thief
.
No Harm Done
continues the old-timey, country-flecked approach
grew into after her sparser folksy beginnings. Along with key contributions from guitarist
Matthew Schneider
,
creates a warm, open atmosphere with these eight songs, tempering the auburn sadness at the core of her songwriting with light, almost drunkenly swaying instrumentals.
Schneider
's pedal steel stands out on "The Wheel of Fortune," clearing the path for
's lonely hearted vocals and string bass to amble forward in a melancholic trudge. Much of
follows a similar slow-and-steady pace.
harmonizes with herself on "Conjugal Bliss" over a backdrop of shambling autoharp and acoustic guitar, sounding like a lost wire recording from an anonymous 1930s Appalachian artist. The lamenting saloon balladry of tracks like "How Come, Honeycomb?" or "Love Letter" are closer to the style
explored most thoroughly on her woozy 2013 album
I'm a Dreamer
. She sounds at home in these loose and hazy songs of heartache and yearning, with the airy production of the album adding to the pleasant blurriness embodied by
's vocal performances.
is equally crushing and tender, landing in a very specific class of albums that includes
's
In My Own Time
Bonny Prince Billy
Lie Down in the Light
and the distant beauty of
Vashti Bunyan
's often-overlooked 2005 classic
Lookaftering
. The songs bleed into one another and the entire album washes by like a slow-moving September afternoon, as
floats through sadness, devotion, regret, and wonder without ever once touching the ground. ~ Fred Thomas