The Unthanks

The Unthanks sound like the North Sea at dusk: cold, deep, and utterly indifferent to modern trends. Their music is built around the close, often unison harmonies of sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, whose voices carry a distinctive Tyneside lilt that feels both ancient and startlingly immediate. It is folk music stripped of its 'hey-nonny' clichés, replaced instead by a stark, social-realist beauty that finds as much inspiration in Steve Reich's minimalism as it does in traditional coal-mining ballads.

What truly sets them apart is their fearless curation and unusual sonic choices. They are just as likely to use the rhythmic thud of clog dancing as a percussion track as they are to collaborate with a championship brass band or cover the avant-garde works of Robert Wyatt. There is a profound stillness in their arrangements, often led by Adrian McNally's patient piano work and mournful string sections, creating a space where the lyrics - often dealing with grief, labor, and the female experience - can breathe and bruise.

Start with 'Mount the Air' to hear their cinematic, orchestral ambitions at their peak, or 'The Bairns' if you want to experience the raw, dark, and intimate storytelling that first established them as the premier innovators of the modern British folk scene.