Songs in the dark

"An album drenched in familiar swathes of charm, pathos, elegance and black humour. The glibly summary is a mix of their respective mothers' groups the McGarrigles and The Roches but, with a minimalist backing and simplistic arrangements, they still put their own stamp on a colourful selection reflecting childhood, motherhood and, er, infanticide. Amid the graceful harmonies and tender lullabies, there's the gruesome ballad Long Lankin, Townes Van Zandt's Our Mother The Mountain, Jimmie Rodgers' Prairie Lullaby and Loudon's exasperated Screaming Issue, written about Lucy when she was a baby. Nothing is sacred when you're a Wainwright".