"Small Brown Birds" looks for joy in the midst of hard times. The songs touch on wintry themes with compassion, honesty, and sometimes wit, tracing a journey from sadness to hope and from winter to spring. The musical arrangements range from gentle and lush to downright danceable. The album showcases Zoe Mulford's clear voice, sprightly clawhammer banjo, and resonant guitar. An American songwriter now living in the north of England, Zoe charms audiences with story-driven songwriting and an unlabored vocal style sometimes compared to that of Joan Baez. She draws on the traditional music of Appalachia and the British Isles and steals a few pages from the American Songbook to create music that feels both comfortably lived-in and sparklingly fresh. The heart of the project is a new collaboration with English fiddler and mandolinist Tom Kitching. Tom is a high-energy player in the style of Dave Swarbrick. Folk broadcaster Mike Harding describes him as “one of the best English fiddlers ever – he ... takes English folk music by the scruff of the neck and sends it off laughing and dancing and having a good time." The core band also features English percussionist Sam McEvoy and Philadelphia's Ken Pendergast on upright bass. Guest musicians include Pat Wictor on harmony vocals, Bob Beach on harmonica, and Michael G. Ronstadt on cello.