John Wesley Harding Full Fill ****

Bob Dylan turned 70 last May, and British singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore thought it would be a fine thing to mark that milestone by recording her favourite Dylan album. Some might think that a foolish lark, pickled with risk. But Gilmore, supported by a tight band including ace guitarist Robbie McIntosh, has created something that doesn't pale by comparison. JWH, from 1967, is one of the more low-key gems of Dylan's back catalogue. Many of the songs reflect his then new-found interest in the Bible. Gilmore, her voice a rich pleasure, treats them with respect but not undue reverence. There are scalding versions of The Wicked Messenger and Drifter's Escape, plus evocative readings of I Dreamed I Saw St Augustineand I Pity the Poor Immigrant. The weakest are I'll Be Your Baby Tonightand All Along the Watchtower, as if their fame renders them beyond revisiting. See theagilmore.net.

Download tracks: Drifter's Escape, I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine