Wendy Arrowsmith moves forward in leaps and bounds on her second album, Seeds of Fools, sounding ever more comfortable and confident. Exploring the lower registers of her voice, Wendy reveals gorgeously moody and stirring tones, that are put to particularly good use when instilling life in the six traditional songs included here. This is evident from the opening track, a stunning interpretation of "The Blacksmith," where Wendy manages to instil equal amounts of longing and rage.

The Child ballad 'Cruel Mother' receives a similarly rich and dramatic vocal treatment, with Rebekah Findlay's haunting fiddle arrangement and the ominously menacing beat of Joolz Cavell's congas furthering the brooding atmosphere.

Wendy's own song writing is also much to the fore on Seeds of Fools, and the well-chosen title track is a perfect example of the frankness and sense of justice with which Wendy writes, telling of the passing of prejudices from one generation to the next, all in the name of love: "prejudice is like a seed when watered, it grows strong / so mothers love your children, and teach them all the rules / help them sow the seeds of love / not reap the seeds of fools." Wendy expresses her own motherly instincts in her lullaby "Counting Dolphins," punctuating her soothing vocals with a gently hypnotic mandolin. "Sleep Well 'till Morning" is a similar song of comfort for the son of a fisherman, where Wendy manages to write a song that skilfully bridges the gap between the traditional and contemporary.

I favoured the tracks with minimal accompaniment where Wendy's voice doesn't strain to reach over the instrumentation, and she is able to achieve a more relaxed vocal. In particular, Wendy delivers a wonderful unaccompanied performance of Burns' "John Anderson" that demonstrates both control and serenity, offering a beautiful stillness and possessing almost hymn-like qualities.

Seeds of Fools is sure to command further attention, with both Wendy's writing and performance being worthy of wider recognition, and likely to ensure that she becomes a mainstay of the folk scene.