Now one of the most famous names in English folk music, Eliza Carthy has never been shy of experimenting with the genre, and again she doesn't disappoint. From the opening bars of ‘Follow the Dollar', played on a distorted electric guitar, you know Dreams of Breathing Underwater, her second self-penned album, is going to be no ordinary ‘folk' album.Innovation has long been Carthy's trademark, and it's strongly in evidence here. It isn't as brazenly off kilter as some of her earlier works (there's no drum 'n' bass on offer this time) and the likes of Spiers & Boden and Eddi Reader lend heavyweight traditional clout to the vocals and instrumentation; but it's Carthy's imaginative arrangements, vocal talents and lyrics that make this a brilliant album.Anyone that's seen her backstage will testify to her other great talents - drinking and socialising - and there's plenty of personal references here, ranging from the heartfelt to the downright comical. ‘Rosalie', a passionate tale of love and lust for a loud, hard drinking woman, and daft, drinky and jazzy closer ‘Oranges and Seasalt' show her humour and playful nature.The sheer number of styles on offer would sink many an artist and overwhelm many an album. Fiddles range from Eastern to maudlin to playful, styles from Latin to reggae to blues to folk, traditional tunes to electronica; but, in the main, it works, and any lack of overall clarity is covered by her powerful voice.There are a couple of duffers; I don't see how ‘Mr Magnifico', a vaguely comical spoken word effort spoken by Tim Matthew, fits in, while ‘Little Bigman' doesn't show in any department. But subtle folktronica tunes ‘Lavenders', ‘Hug You Like a Mountain' and ‘Simple Things' are truly sublime.Few people will like this from start to finish, but every fan of Carthy - and many new ones to boot - will find plenty here to fall for. 75%Links Eliza Carthy [myspace]