Zwei Jahre dem Debütalbum Through Low Light And Trees und einer ausgedehnten Tour durch Europa sowie Amerika sind die beiden Engländerinnen Jessica Davies und Katherine Blamiere aka Smoke Fairies nun zurück. Dabei stellt das zweite Album eine deutliche Weiterentwicklung des Duos dar. Der Sound aus Folk, Blues und klassischem Singer/Songwriting wirkt noch gefestigter und die beiden sind als Band gereift:
“We’ve become more confident in what we’re doing, and so we’ve pushed things a bit more. We’ve gotten bolder with the dynamics, and our influences have broadened”, so Katherine.

Wurde das Erstlingswerk noch in Cornwall aufgenommen, zog es das Duo für die neuen Aufnahmen in die urbanen Umgebungen des im Westen Londons gelegenen Ladbroke Grove. Produzent des neuen Albums war abermals Head, der auch schon beim Debütwerk Through Low Light And Trees unterstützend mitwirkte. Die im Dezember letzten Jahres entstandenen zehn neuen Songs zeigen vor allem den Bruch mit gängigen musikalischen Gewohnheiten der Band: v “We tried to break out of the different forms which you can get restricted by in folk and blues”, sagt Katherine. “It was very liberating to do that, as well as a very uplifting, independent song for us.” Jessica fügt hinzu: “It’s about the sense you get from stopping, thinking and just focusing on your surroundings. To listen to what your blood is telling you, to experience life and to celebrate the freedom of being able to move around.” Ein wunderbares Album, musikalisch eine deutliche Weiterentwicklung, das auch einen gewissen Wagemut im Songwriting an den Tag legt, ohne dabei dem typischen Smoke Fairies-Stil untreu zu werden.

Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies' third outing under the Smoke Fairies banner finds the bewitching English duo wrapping their velvety voices and nimble guitar picking around another moody set of misty electric folk and turbulent Victorian blues. Like 2010's stellar Through Low Light and Trees, Blood Speaks feels both out of time and oddly contemporary, utilizing vintage gear and a storm of reverb to project a Pentangle/"Rhiannon"-era Fleetwood Mac vibe, while maintaining an undercurrent of bluesy, slide-driven Americana. The latter can be felt most prominently on tracks like "The Three of Us," "Take Me Down When You Go," and "Version of the Future," all of which sport an earthy patina of Southern gothic ambience, while more stately cuts like "Let Me Know," "Awake," and "Feel It Coming Near," the latter of which feels like a lost sibling to Low Light highlight "Devil in My Mind," feel like they were drawn from a more regional well. Blamire and Davies sound more confident this time around, allowing their throaty wails a wider berth, and their snaky melodies a little more room to sneak, and while Blood Speaks may lack the immediate hooks of its predecessor, it's got longer legs, deeper corners, and attitude to spare.

(by James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide)