This Earthly Spell is the fourth studio album by Scottish

Scottish people

The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...

 folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 musician Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide...

, released on March 10, 2008. The album was released just three months after Fairest Floo'er

Fairest Floo'er

Fairest Floo'er is the third studio album by Scottish folk musician Karine Polwart, released on December 10, 2007. Fairest Floo'er is one of two albums that Polwart recorded in 2007 during a break from live performances; Polwart was pregnant with her first child whilst recording.Unlike her other...

, and contains original compositions.

"The Good Years" previously appeared on Ballads of the Book

Ballads of the Book

Ballads of the Book is a studio album, released on 5 March 2007, on Chemikal Underground. The project was curated by Roddy Woomble, and features collaborations between Scottish musicians and Scottish writers. The album is considered a "joint effort" by all those involved...

. "Firethief" was originally written for and appeared in The Radio Ballads 2006

Radio-ballad

The radio ballad is an audio documentary format created by Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger, and Charles Parker in 1958. It combines four elements of sound: songs, instrumental music, sound effects, and, most importantly, the recorded voices of those who are the subjects of the documentary...

.

"Rivers Run" was also issued as a one-track promo CD to publicise the album.

Track listing

All songs by Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart

Karine Polwart is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide...

, except where noted.

1. "The Good Years" (Polwart/Edwin Morgan)
2. "Sorry"
3. "Better Things"
4. "Rivers Run"
5. "Painted It White"
6. "Firethief"
7. "Behind Our Eyes"
8. "The News"
9. "Sorrowlessfield" (Karine Polwart / Steven Polwart)
10. "Tongue That Cannot Lie"