Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band: Perlas

Following up the superb 2010 album Anda Jaleo, Josephine Foster and the Victor Herrero Band don’t disappoint with Perlas, a new collection of Spanish folkloric songs and poems. Foster, who is American, has an ethereal, otherworldly, tremulous voice that soars, whispers and enchants as she sings from a diverse range of Spanish folk traditions: Castile, Basque, Santander and the Costa Brava, to name but a few. The Victor Herrero Band plays glorious arrangements on an assortment of traditional stringed instruments, their intensity providing an almost harsh backdrop to her voice. This simple, heart-achingly evocative album brings a contemporary approach whilst observing the traditions of the rich mine of Spanish musical culture.