Mary-Anne Paterson

Mary-Anne Paterson’s lone offering of exquisite psychedelic folk music is comparable to Vashti Bunyan’s recently rediscovered debut, Just Another Diamond Day, for a number of reasons — both are sparse solo affairs in a haunting yet innocent vein; both were released in 1970 to very little attention; and both songwriters are British. But while Bunyan has received oodles of adoration in the past couple of years for her influence on the likes of Devendra Banhart and Animal Collective, Paterson still resides safely in complete obscurity, but will hopefully receive her due with this long-awaited reissue. Firmly established as one of the rarest records of its time, this reissue proves Me was also one of the most vital albums of its British psych-folk ilk as songs like the jaunty, Bunyan-ish "Coulter’s Candy” and her truly captivating and freaked-out treatment of "Black Girl” (also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night”) positively attest. True, there a few tracks on this brief album that fall as flat as Joan Baez, but its high points are many and make up for the low points wholeheartedly, with grace to spare.