Fallow

Family and surroundings pervade the emotionally layered third album from country singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden. Fallow is Lumsden’s first record since becoming a mother, and both her son and husband/bandmate Dan Stanley Freeman appear in the warmly domestic video for “These Days.” The loss of Freeman’s own mother informs “This Too Shall Pass,” and Lumsden’s brother Thomas joins her on vocals for the soul-searching title track. Meanwhile, the two-part “Mountain Song” captures the rustic ambiance of recording in a stone hut very close to home. As well known for her sharp-eyed observations of life’s minor details as for her yearning vocals and delicate guitar twang, Lumsden especially shines on the jaunty (and, yes, funny) “Peed in the Pool,” confirming her once again as a refreshingly unique voice in Australian country.