Cavalier is a rather different release from Eddi Reader than what we have come to expect, but for anyone who has been lucky enough to experience Reader's live performances it will not be a surprise. In her shows she often performs older songs, many of which we might see as "parlour ballads," and that appears to be the basis of much of the current offering.

The true test of the best musician or singer is how he or she can vary their repertoire without losing their core audience. Reader does this to great effect here. One thing I would suggest, however, is that the diehard fan might skip to track 10 or 11 to wean yourself into this revelatory album.

As always there are tracks on an album that epitomise the performer and the record, and in this instance I would choose "A Sailor's Farewell to the Sea," penned by John Douglas and Phil Cunningham. Reader does a fantastic job with it. A close second is the rather whimsical and fascinating "There's a Hole in the Desert Dear Darling," which shows her own prowess with the pen.

In her true fashion she takes songs old and new and makes them her own. "Deirdre's Farewell to Scotland" is a case in point, and she similarly takes a beautiful traditional tune and elevates it on "The Loch Tay Boat Song," a song we have all heard before but Eddi Reader gives it a new life.

If you cannot see her live -- highly recommended -- this is the next best thing.

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