The Unthanks - Here’s the Tender Coming

When it deals with compelling human stories, folk music can be as thrilling as any genre. English sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank offer a highly vibrant version, lending their gorgeous harmonies to traditional tales of doomed lovers (“Annachie Gordon”) and sailors lost at sea (“Sad February”). Full of brass and strings, the album is rich in highlights, including “The Testimony of Patience Kershaw,” the heartbreaking story of a 17-year-old female mineworker based on evidence given to a royal commission in 1842.