'Two Minds' by Shadowlands

Initially coming together under the Shadowlands moniker for their formal introduction by way of 'Ombres' in 2024, the powerhouse trio of saxophonist Robin Fincker, pianist Kit Downes and vocalist Lauren Kinsella don the collective cowl one more time for their follow-up release in 'Two Minds'.

Through their recontextualising of centuries old Irish folk songs, Fincker, Downes and Kinsella present inspired new perspectives that revel within minimalist - yet deliciously haunting - soundscapes which accentuate a stunning vocal.  While many of the songs tackled across the two Shadowlands albums to date can boast their own litany of reinterpretations over the years, there's an ambition put forward across these albums that offers up an unparalleled distinction.  With a propensity for improvisation alongside folk traditions and jazz aesthetics, the results have generated musically dynamic compositions with Kinsella's vocal immersed within an exquisite mystique.

While the very concept of "Shadowlands" may point to fantasy realms of ghosts, spirits and phantoms, both 'Ombres' and 'Two Minds' prove very much projects about giving new life:  songs that are kept alive and repackaged for new audiences and generations, many of which will be experiencing them for the first time through these releases.  

And in the hands of Fincker, Downes and Kinsella, these prove to be songs treated with the incredible level of sensitivity that each artist's auspicious careers would suggest.  For Robin Fincker, his extensive catalogue of releases has been steeped in versatility - able to showcase work across a litany of projects and ensembles including the Loop Collective, the Charles Mingus-inspired Whahay project or the Deep Ford trio, the French saxophonist has embraced projects that afford the freedom of improvisation, the joy of collaboration and an unhindered approach to music-making.

Similarly, the highly-decorated British pianist Kit Downes has embraced those same challenges when it has come to his own projects.  Through his own collection of ensembles which include ENEMY, Elt, Troyka and Vyamanikal, Downes' dynamic and progressive perspectives have cemented him as one of the UK's most prominent jazz musicians.  And then of course to round out the trio, there's the incomparable Lauren Kinsella who - with releases on Edition Records, WideEarRecords, Diatribe and Two Rivers Records, Kinsella's remarkable and award-winning vocal has graced prestigious stages across the UK, festivals across Europe and projects including the Chris Hyson collaboration as Snowpoet.

Even on paper, the Fincker-Downes-Kinsella pairing is a tantalising prospect but for the Shadowlands project to take on the imagination that both 'Ombres' and 'Two Minds' captures is an unexpected delight.  'Two Minds' proves very much a continuation of its predecessor's ideals and an album that is more about discovery than remembrance.  A spellbinding release.