There's something homely about Nancy Wallace on Old Stories. The album's cover depicts plumes of smoke rising from the chimneys of an old house during snowfall, which seems to convey something about what this woman's music is like. These songs often deal with uncomfortable themes - loss, long-distance love - but they are all played and sung with a palpable warmth. The title seems fitting too - the stories depicted in these songs do sound prototypical and comfortably hackneyed, and they all carry with them a kind of oldy-worldy charm which conjures up images of them being played around blazing hearths in old stony cottages, which rather brings us full circle.Comprising nine songs across half an hour, Old Stories is a concise and accessible folk album. The sounds are pretty traditional and rustic - tactile, warm acoustic guitars, and generous doses of accordion. The feeling of warmth and homeliness is reinforced further still by Wallace's inviting, enclosing voice. For those who like reference points, the old-fashioned charm of the yearning "I Live Not Where I Love" echoes fellow folksters Bellowhead, especially in their more traditional moments on second album Matachin.Old Stories is like a trusty old object of some kind - shoes, jacket, take your pick. It's reliably old-school and faithful, appealing and comfortable, but it's never exactly surprising or inspiring. A reliable port of call for solid and earnest folk, this is an album which will appeal to fans of its genre but won't be a major magnet for many others. 59%Nancy Wallace on MySpace