Looking for some music to accompany those upcoming final papers? Look no further than Scottish folk singer/songwriter Alasdair Roberts, formerly of the band Appendix Out. In his second release, Farewell Sorrow, Roberts offers 12 melancholy songs backed by a three-piece combination of mandolin, bass and drums. The songs deal with two primary subjects: love and nature. “Come, My Darling Polly” is perhaps the best example of the combination of these two elements. The first line, “Polly you can tame the wild beasts / Your beauty it can tame the wild beasts” conveys both Roberts’ interest in the girl (who is also mentioned in three other songs on the album) and his natural surroundings. The song also shows Roberts’ knack for repetition, which works like lyrical blues. Other references to nature include Roberts’ description of the singing larks which “stayed my heart” on “I Went Hunting” and his plea for the “wild water” to toss him “upon the thorny, thorny briars” in “Down Where the Willow Wands Weep.” Both songs portray nature as a force stronger than man, whether in its ability to overwhelm him with beauty, or to physically hinder.

Most of the songs on Farewell Sorrow feature finger-picked guitars, which establishes the album as mellow-feeling folk rock. Roberts’ vocals are sung slowly in accordance with the speed of the instrumentation. On the title track, Roberts’ ability to hold syllables for long periods and to enunciate words clearly are both highlighted. The clear enunciation is important, as it allows Roberts to explain his pain in understandable terms to the listener. In the conveyance of his pain and difficulties, such as on “I Am a Young Man” when he speaks of himself as “A Young man that’s inclined to seek pleasure,” Roberts expresses his pain and loneliness. While Roberts often sings about lost love and death, a bit of optimism is retained through his gentle singing. “Slowly Growing Old,” though referring to a “world of constant woe,” still presents a bit of gaiety through its joyful, repetitively sung title line.

As an album Farewell Sorrow works well. It deals with common themes and imagery in a generally consistent manner. Alasdair Roberts’ music is not meant for fans of fast-paced hard rock, though it may have calming and soothing effects for those who enjoy folk, or just need to mellow out. While one would expect to see one of his performances in a small caf