Create some space, get yourself comfy and be prepared dig a little deeper to accrue the true wealth of Kate Macleod's latest album. URANIUM MAIDEN is no short term project. It has been years in the making and weighing in at a hefty 17 tracks across 69 minutes means it is no short term fix. Macleod has had an acquaintance with the state of Utah for over 40 years and now the time is right to celebrate her association with this often undiscovered part of America's vast West. She dips into all her folk and Americana sensibilities to craft a diverse array of songs, mixing a quartet of instrumentals with lyrical efforts attempting to capture the people and the environment of this largely desolate slice of land. Of course the title is drawn from the natural resources found here and the front cover lays out a conceptual emptiness to set the scene.
There is a strong thread of fiddle throughout the album and this features heavily in the instrumentals. Apart from the omnipresent acoustic guitar that you would expect from such a mash of genres, energising additions include a a slice of roots harmonica in 'Lightning Man Dreaming' and accordion in the Tex-Mex flavoured 'Compeneros on the Rio'. Vocally, Macleod controls the button, but once again a welcome addition on this front is exposed in the duet 'Angels on My Mind'.
From a thematic perspective, there are obvious links between the title and its nuclear form in 'U-235', while tracks such as 'Apology to the Native Rock', 'Storm on the Desert', and 'Sand in Breeze' have natural connotations. The key historical reference is a self-explained song titled 'Butch Cassidy Was Here'.
A traditional campfire ballad feel to most of the songs reveals a strong link to American folk tales of the West. Impressive diversions are a stray into a more country direction with 'Pick Pick Apples' and a prime serving of Americana in 'Time Zone'. The gently rolling rhythm, inkling of twang and appealing chorus to the last one makes it the album's standout track. The only possible downside to this assertion is the early peak as it appears at number 2 in the running order. This follows the opening track 'Now is the Time To Be Alive' that attempts to launch the album but is trumped by its successor.
However endeavour and persistence does pay off and even if you chunk the digital playing time into smaller components, there is much to enjoy in URANIUM MAIDEN. Kate Macleod is obviously a talented and dedicated singer-songwriter-musican. He devotion to this project is admirable and the depth of her work presents a record that has enough panache to interest willing listeners.