For American singer-songwriter Nell Bryden, life (and indeed art) is about the journey and not the destination. A performer who follows her muse wherever it leads (whether New Orleans, Australia or Iraq), she found herself in London for the recording of album number two Shake The Tree. Featuring material co-written – a new departure for the native New Yorker – with Patrick Mascall, the record is a widescreen and cinematic offering, blending country, roots and light rock elements while weaving arresting tales of life, love and loss into each track. A more assured effort than her debut, Shake The Tree is at its best when Bryden cuts loose and unleashes the vocal thunder (‘Sirens’). Interesting stuff.