This is Mary Chapin Carpenter’s first album of new material for three years – and it is certainly worth the wait. Once again the themes of her beautiful songs, the fragility of life, the power of loneliness and the fleeting nature of happiness, are eternal.

This time around, however, they have extra poignancy and urgency, because Carpenter has been seriously ill, first with a blocked lung and then depression. For the past decade, this talented singer-songwriter has been moving away from the radio-friendly country pop of He Thinks He’ll Keep Her and Passionate Kisses towards more introspective folk songs and The Age Of Miracles continues this progression.

Her warm and intimate voice has never sounded better on songs such as Holding Up The Sky, I Put My Ring Back On and The Way I Feel, which not only address her hopes and fears, but ours too.