Mountain Man/ Made The Harbour

Mountain Man
Made The Harbour
(Bella Union)

Mountain Man are, far from the bearded blokes that their moniker suggests, a female folk trio that specialise in the kind of harmony-led, delicately fragile folk that'll get Laura Marling fans weeping with joy into their plaid sleeves.
'Made The Harbour' centres around the trio's gently lilting vocals, even featuring the odd a capella number just to drum in how ridiculously perfect a blend they create ('How'm I Doin'), and for the most part succeeds in producing a gently stirring ethereal haze of haunting melancholia.
After a while there's a sense of the trick wearing thin; Mountain Man would benefit from something even a little upbeat to break up the lulling calm of it all. But considering the sheer volume of folk- orientated artists emerging on a daily basis, the trio are a powerful enough force to more than stake their claim on the territory.