When Nadia Reid ’s debut album, ‘Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs’, was released, the response was resoundingly positive – not just here, but in all kinds of corners of the globe.

It made waves, the kind of gentle waves that you’d happily let wash over you. That was then. ‘Preservation’ is now – and is just as exquisite. At once stirring and soothing, this record is a testament to Reid’s talent as both songwriter and vocalist.

Recorded by Ben Edwards at The Sitting Room, accompanied by her base live band of Sam Taylor on guitar and Richie Pickard playing bass, it’s a voyage you want to take in all at once, meandering through the different stories and tempos, swelling and sighing.

There’s more traditional folk stylings across many of the tracks – like the title track Preservation, which is a sweeping tune touched with melancholy and hope.

‘I know I will find the one to hold on to,’ Reid sings – folk in its truest form. And then there are tracks like Te Aro, the longest on the record, which winds into a more ambient, elegantly clattering place. It’s hard not to love a song that opens, ‘I lost myself in Te Aro’, because haven’t we all, at some point or other?

Reid’s voice floats above the instrumentation that manages to balance being richly textured without being overly complicated or precious. The go-to comparison for Reid always seems to be Laura Marling – which is not unreasonable.

But this is a sophomore album now, and Nadia Reid deserves to be known as her own person. So instead, if you like Marling – or melodic, thoughtful folk in general – you’re probably already listening to Nadia Reid. If not, get your hands on ‘Preservation now and make that change.

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