A response to the perceived decay in the world’s social situations in the 20th and 21st centuries, this is an intense listen. Guitarist and writer Richard Leschen has tackled such topics as Nazi death camps (A Place Between), sex slavery (Guide To Ravens) and particle physics (Every Heart Every Star), all with a sparsely arranged musical backdrop. The Tuxedo Folk Band trio (Leschen, bassist Eamon Edmundson-Wells and vocalist/wind-instrumentalist Yvette Audain) have backgrounds in folk, jazz and classical music, especially evident on the longest tracks, Katherine, and A Place Between, both of which feature sections of free improvisation. Leschen’s acoustic guitar, and folk style is the base for all the songs, especially the finger-picked instrumental S21, though with an ominous musical background and sparse vocal arrangement, Divinity Winds promises something a little more sophisticated, both structurally and aurally. ‘Skyless Countries’ was recorded live at Tsunami Studios, and the performances of the trio are polished and deft, though peculiarly lacking in passion. For an album so obviously personal, the detachment between performance and lyrical theme is hard to reconcile.