Evocative debut solo album from London-born singer, songwriter and composer Emily Levy, whose songs are suitably reflected in the brooding cover shot, which depicts a young girl tentatively peering into the darkness of the mysterious forest.  Now based in Yorkshire, Emily creates her own specific hybrid of folk and jazz with a sprinkling of bold and contemporary sounds.  Lending her artistic endeavours not only to her own contemporary folk music but to other commissions with dance projects, together with her work with young singers, Emily has become well-versed in various musical forms and in Lost and Found we see the fruition of those endeavours.

Unafraid to incorporate sound effects such as the delightful birds section on “Still Point”, which is effectively a prelude to the title song “Lost and Found” and used in much the same manner as Pink Floyd’s UMMAGUMMA-period Grantchester Meadows, Emily adds the sort of atmosphere that music cannot achieve alone.  With ten original songs and the one non-original, Ewan Maccoll’s  “The Joy of Living”, which is accompanied by Matthew Bourne’s sparse piano, Emily surrounds herself with a handful of musicians to help create what is essentially a rather lovely album including Sam Hobbs on drums, Mark Creswell and Rich Arthurs on guitars, Jon Burr on harmonica, Richard Ormrod on wind and Gary Stewart on vocals.  Rich in atmosphere, Lost and Found stands out as a fine and assured debut.