Clara Mann – 'Wishbone' review: English folk with a classic voice
After her all-acoustic debut 'Rift', the Londoner recorded her second album with a band. PopMatters gives it 9 out of 10, Clash 8 out of 10.
Photo: Duk3L1xon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · The state51 Conspiracy · youtube.com
Single: All My Devotion
South London songwriter Clara Mann released her second album 'Wishbone' on state51 on 23 October. Her debut 'Rift' in early 2025 was a solo acoustic record; now a band adds brushed drums, violin and the occasional banjo, and Mann's piano is more prominent. Last year she already recorded '500 Miles', a song often attributed to Hedy West, with Owen Spafford on country fiddle.
Jack Walters gives the album 9 out of 10 at PopMatters: it is bolder and more confident than the debut, and Mann's artistry has great depth and maturity; he compares her voice to Joan Baez and Fiona Apple. Writing for Clash (8/10), Nick Roseblade says Mann possesses a classic voice, the record is built on solid songwriting rather than fads, and listening to it leaves you uplifted.
The video is the official video for 'All My Devotion', which PopMatters links in its review, from state51's YouTube channel ('The state51 Conspiracy').