Although Leigh errs on the side of the more traditional, this aint all fingers-in-ears, lacy bodices, frilly skirts and daisy-chains folk; Leigh brings a refreshingly modernesque feel to the form which makes it perfectly viable for 'now' and is also undeniably pretty 'timeless'. Her skilled and empathetic band of musicians offer Leigh a distinctly modern semi-acoustic foundation with a clever mix of electric and upright bass, powerful but minimalistic drums and various guitars alongside a varied assemblage of fiddles, viola, Uilean pipes, mandolin, harp, piano and so on. Leigh's vibrant 'folk across time' borrows time signatures and inflections from earlier times but sits squarely, slap-bang in the middle of twenty-first century electric folk - it may not be a totally new idea but Iona Leigh sure makes it sound original and tantalising.

'Beside The Waves Of Time' by Iona Leigh is a intoxicating but restful melding of folk forms; beautifully crafted and sensitively produced to allow Iona Leigh all the space and time she needs to deliver her wonderfully clear and beautifully polished vocals - great work this, possibly a little too traditional for the modern folkster but absolutely spot-on for the lover of roots folk with a modern twist.