WGC are sometimes a vehicle for Robert Fisher and his previous partner Paul Austin and sometimes a collective of around 20 musicians. They comment wryly on one of their albums that "If someone tells you played on this, they probably did". At least 3 Willard Grant Conspiracy albums rank as my favourite albums of the past decade and I was delighted to see "Regard the End" highlighted recently in Uncut's top 150 albums of the 21st century. It is a dark and gothic work where Robert Fischer the bands front man tackles the Prozac inducing subject of death! Infact it is very uplifting and beautiful particularly the gorgeous "Twistification" the gentle take on the traditional "Fare thee well" which is included in a different version on this album and the poppy "Soft hand". The band's masterpiece however is the glorious melancholy of "Everything is Fine" one of the greatest Americana albums bar none including the joyous desert Xmas song "Christmas in Nevada", Fishers beautiful paean to his home state "Massachusetts" and the fabulous homage to all alcoholics "the Drunkards prayer". Those who check out their earlier album "Mojave" will delighted to discover that it and "Everything is Fine" stand as a wonderful if unintentional double paringThe WGC have slipped slightly on their two most recent albums "Let it Roll" and "Pilgrim Road" and it is from these two albums that Paper Covers Stone draws most songs and rightly reworkes them. As a result it sees them back on top form and probably reflects more closely their live performances with Fishers propensity to reinvent his songs Dylan Style in radically new ways. Thus this album is a sort of unplugged acoustic greatest hits except in many cases the songs are so different they are transformed into something new and very different. Thus you have an excellent range of minimalistically re-worked versions of existing WGC tunes. for those requiring tsome some new output 3 new songs are also included all of which are excellent. Recommended here is the stunning "Mary of the Angels" with a lovely vocal by Fischer. A radically reworked and much better version of "Skeleton" from "Let it roll". "Soft Hand" becomes a much darker affair than the "Regard the End" version. I particularly love "Painter Blue" and the eerie "Lady of the Snowline" but look it's a fine album and all the songs reward.I suppose if I have a small gripe "Fare thee Well" and "the Ghost of the Girl in the Well" are probably closest to the originals but all the same distinctive enough to provide fine alternatives. If you're looking for comparable artists then at a pinch you could cite Nick Cave and Johnny Cash and also throw in Richard Thompson, the Handsome Family and even the Red House Painters. But WGC should be checked out not least of all to hear the finest baritone in modern rock music in the shape of Robert Fisher. As the winter nights approach these stripped back acoustic performances really resonate. Pour yourself a drink, curl up and listen intently to an undiscovered treasure trove, it is truly enthralling.