V: End Of The Bloodline is the latest offering from sisters Sunniva, Greta and Stella Bondesson whose combined talents coalesce to produce the divine sound of Baskery. The self-proclaimed ‘three bitches from Sweden’ can often be found in a chipper mood and aren’t averse to dabbling in a bit of rock, blues or even a dash of punk. This album however sees the girls bringing on the heartache with a dozen sublime and, for the most part, tear-drenched Americana folk/country tales of lost love and injustice delivered in their inimitable style.
For the uninitiated, Baskery’s secret lies largely in the versatility that is afforded by having three such talented individuals working in perfect harmony, all bringing something a bit special to the mix. Their instrumental flexibility includes Greta’s unique banjo/drums combo (with a bit of guitar and piano thrown in for good measure), while lead singer Sunniva is an accomplished guitarist in her own right, and Stella’s upright bass works perfectly for the band offering a completely different texture to the bass guitar.
All three have sublime voices which meld to magnificent effect bringing to life the full gamut of emotions expressed by their impressive songwriting to which, naturally, they all contribute. Sean Lakeman’s empathetic and uncluttered production suggests the Bondessons have found a kindred spirit while brother Seth contributes viola to a couple of tracks, offering a stamp of approval from folk royalty which affirms the high esteem in which Baskery are held by fellow musicians.
And so you have it, a fifth studio album from this talented trio to add to their already impressive back-catalogue and establish them once and for all as a force to be reckoned with. Parallels are inevitably drawn with other all-female acts and there are some obvious stylistic references, but when it comes to the overall Baskery sound, these sisters are very much doing it for themselves.
To say that there isn’t a bad track on the album would be no overstatement, and it’s impressive indeed that a band which seems constantly to be on the road somehow manages to craft each song with the perfectionist’s eye for detail and the poet’s ability to paint a picture in your mind.