Not as stunning as 10 but still great in a different way
One of the better contrasts that can be offered for people familiar with Rusby's music would be to contrast it with 10.

10 was a stunning album with a number of stories which grabbed the heart and mind and were supported by a simple music style where the beauty of the song could shine through with no distractions.

Under the Stars is much more musically complex. The style is similar outwardly but the music is much fuller and richer. Although I wish her music continued the raw power of her earlier song selection, I think it this a refinement on her earlier styles.

For anyone wanting a softer intro to Rusby's music, I would highly recommend this album, as I would for the seasoned Rusby fan.

Magic
Timeless recording...my teenage daughters sing "The Goodman" in harmony which they learned from this CD while I enjoy a wee dram of Lagavullan by the fire. It doesn't get any better.

Maintaining the mood
Kate's arrangements stick to a traditional folk formula. She has a great voice and this album contains a high percentage of well constructed, listenable songs. The standout is Let Me Be.

Immersed in Stars
Kate is a wonderful singer. Her "Underneath the Stars" is as nice as "Little Lights" and "10". These recent albums of hers are really a showcase of talent. Production is wonderful. Nothing over-done. The music is simple and is presented in its purity and simplicity with a seemingly light touch at the board. Thank heavens!

Kate has the supreme good luck (and good sense) to know her strengths and to play to them -- and we ALL benefit. And while the music is simple, when Kate writes new music for a traditional lyric, often the harmonies are not so simple but the overall musical effect is always beautifully matched to the lyrics and the listener is left with an impression not of a big fancy production but of a simply beautiful production -- with real, live human musicians playing real instruments, not studio pros on drum machines and other electronic crap.

Many of Kate's songs come from a long-ago tradition (even the new ones she writes) but what's important is that it is a tradition of beauty, a tradition of fine craft, and a tradition of respect.

If you don't know Kate Rusby's music, Underneath the Stars would a fine place to start but any of the other albums mentioned here are equally fine. She is a treasure and the lads she brings along to play and sometimes sing along with her make a musical team that simply CANNOT be beat.

Kate Rusby- Underneath the Stars
Kate Rusby has the traditional Celtic sound. Her songs vary from simple to complex arrangements in an uplifting tonality. The moods are happy and upbeat, but when they are slow and longing, they do not depress or wax melancholic. Much like the theme of "Danny Boy" they express the intensity of feeling for lover and country. Much of contemporary songwriting consists of stream-of-consciousness set to a monotonous chunka-chunka rhythm pattern, usually in some peculiar open tuning. It is encouraging to hear a return to well crafted composition.
I purchased both this album and "The Girl Who Couldn't Fly" featuring her cover of "You Belong to Me" which in my estimation both edifies and challenges the original. If you enjoy a pure powerful voice, and crystal clear production values that honor tradition, these albums are worth it.