The album 'Amidst the Shades' features British soprano Ruby Hughes alongside Swedish musicians Jonas Nordberg on lute and Mime Brinkmann on cello. This collaboration is highlighted in a review by Camilla Lundberg from Dagens Nyheter, who emphasizes the trio's ability to embody the complex emotions of Elizabethan music, capturing themes of passion, melancholy, and the depths of human experience. The ensemble interprets the work of famed Renaissance composer John Dowland, known for his sensitive depictions of longing and sorrow.

Hughes opens the album with Dowland's 'Come Again', which serves as a poignant introduction to the themes of love and loss that permeate the record. Lundberg describes Hughes as a gentle interpreter of melancholy, suggesting that her singing style invites listeners to reflect on their own experiences of love and loss, especially in the context of recent global events. The inclusion of historical instruments, like the lute and cello, further enriches the listening experience, grounding the music in its Elizabethan origins.

Overall, 'Amidst the Shades' is positioned not just as a music album but also as a cultural artifact that reconnects listeners with the emotional realities of the past. Lundberg's analysis suggests that such timeless expressions of human emotions are particularly resonant today, making it the best classical album of the month and a significant contribution to the genre.