rescuing musical virtue in distress.
‘Hope In High Water’ has a backstory that would suit a Hollywood movie, bored of their day jobs the duo decided to move to the country, live in a caravan and live the life they wanted to live. A life of music, connection to the great outdoors and pursuing a life with a little more... Continue Reading →
There is something both primal and angelic about the a cappella introduction to Old Soul, which takes us gently by the hand and leads us into this exquisite album. If music is about emotive communication then Steve McCormick and Heather Donavon, the people behind Love Me In The Dark, are some of the most effective... Continue Reading →
I love when bands take a genre and push it a little to see where things lead, it’s a strange, yet refreshing, brew that makes up the duo’s second album, ‘The Dark Ages’. Pitched as something called ‘dark folk’ the music sits somewhere between David Lynch and the Brothers Grimm, it’s time to say cheerio... Continue Reading →
It’s always great watching acts grow to fulfil their full potential. It’s one thing to have good songs, and Ben Sydes has never had a shortage in that department, but it is tough to deliver the song that is in your head when you are racing around the country in a solo, plug in and... Continue Reading →
As 2019 ends and we move into a new year it was with much excitement that I grabbed a cd from my haul of things to review but without knowing it I had a small pile of albums from last year that had somehow fallen by the by so the first album of the year... Continue Reading →
Right from the off, you can hear that you are in the hands of an artist who knows what they are doing. The delicate yet dexterous guitar picking, the slow and gentle additions of additional musical lines, highlighting slide guitar cascades, drifting harmonies and hand claps, the considered vocals…its all there. But it is also... Continue Reading →
It’s easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas; of course, the clue is in the word but for every smiling man in a red suit that comes along, one less religious reminder is forced off of the shelf, perhaps Santa attracts more people than a baby in a stable surrounded by donkeys, cows and,... Continue Reading →
If you have ever heard a room full of people yelling “I hope your husband dies” in some harmoniously sloppy, drunken unison, then you will have stumbled into an Amigo The Devil show. Danny Kiranos, better known as his musical alter ego, has spent the last few years challenging the expectations of traditional folk, country music purists and rock/extreme metal fans... Continue Reading →
Folk is a big word. Okay, not physically big but the connotations of such a label are certainly broad having to take in traditional, Arran sweater sporting, finger in the ear folkies through indie re-inventions to the dream-like folk-pop of the modern age. And whilst Jim Chorley’s latest release certainly echoes with a 60’s sensibility... Continue Reading →
It’s amazing how quickly a phrase becomes a meme, a meme a cliche, a cliche and accepted addition to the language. And anything that moves that quickly is obviously the perfect title for a song and the perfect subject matter to explore. It’s even better when the person behind the music is also the target... Continue Reading →
There is something immediately likeable in Betsy Phillips’ new EP, the calm and unrushed songs contain subtle twinkly moments that can appear sombre but goes a long way to reinforce the notion that often the best voice in the room doesn’t need to be the loudest. It’s all very understated, it never goes beyond third... Continue Reading →
Anyone can write a song! You want proof, just turn the radio on. It isn’t even that hard to get it recorded, modern studio technology being what it is. No, the art of ending up with something that really stands out is having a song which was worth writing in the first place. Something meaningful.... Continue Reading →
If you ever you hear Canada’s band, West My Friend‘s music described as ‘folk’ feel free to storm away in disgust at such a mention because although folk lies at the heart of the trio’s sound, there is so much more. It’s a little like saying Pablo Picasso was a painter, or Muhammed Ali was... Continue Reading →
Franc Cinelli has always been blessed with the art of musical understatement. For the most part the main thrust of Night Songs is the dexterous guitar work and warm tones of the man himself and very little else because little else is needed to make these songs fly. And that is a great skill to... Continue Reading →
Last time out I used references such as 10,000 Maniacs and Cowboy Junkies as easy labels for Heathcote Hill’s lilting, country infused charms. This time around I would also add Fleetwood Mac to that list, there is something of the Rumours era vibe seeping into the music which is never a bad thing. And if... Continue Reading →
There’s a lot to be said for music that is able to grab you without the need for big production tricks and loud music, there are no wailing guitar solo’s or screaming vocals here, instead the songs rely on solid song writing to get the point across. The Mining Co. comes down to the musicianship... Continue Reading →
Twin Lakes makes music which is a bit like holding a gem up to the light. Turn it one way and it seems to contain certain colours and patterns, turn it another way and a different image appears. And so it is with this trio and their sonic footprint. Depending on how you approach In... Continue Reading →
In a world where music seems to be ever more reliant on the tricks and gimmickry afforded by technology - effects pedals, samples, the dreaded auto-tune and other sonic manipulations - it is great to stumble across bands like River Drivers. Not that they make music with any sort of Luddite deliberations, it’s just that... Continue Reading →
Music is sometimes about escapism but othe times it is the perfect focal point to raise awareness. With successive creatives joining the ranks wanting to be heard and share their concerns for their community, their country, their planet, art in general and music in particular, has something to say again. Okay, we had punk and... Continue Reading →
There is a thought in music that the freshest, boldest sounds come from the younger musicians, from those coming through with something new and dramatic that will test and blur the borders of music. Unfortunately the audience is rarely able to keep up with these new directions so inevitably there is an audience preferring to... Continue Reading →
It feels almost like getting the full set. I’ve recently had music in from both Tamsin Quin and Phil Cooper and as this little pop-folk triptych seem to swirl around in various matched and mixed combinations popping up on each others records or playing in each others bands, it seem entirely right that I have... Continue Reading →
Followers of American folk music may well be acquainted with Annie and Rod Capps, their 2015 album ‘Searching For Neverland’ gained strong reviews and set the tone for their most recent release. The style of music is familiar, the ingredients of guitar, mandolin, bass and percussion are all there and it’s an authentic dip into... Continue Reading →
Reviewing any form of creative output is difficult. What is considered brilliant by one is often considered rubbish by another, our all-time favourite movies, books or albums will no doubt vary from person to person and the old saying of not believing what you hear or read is very true (particularly when it comes to... Continue Reading →
If the soft and smokey, soulful rootsy blends seem familiar then you might be interested to know that you find none other than Ranzel X Kendrick front and centre on this cover. And like all covers it ain't what you do, it’s the way that you do it…that is, there is no point just faithfully... Continue Reading →
Not many instruments have the power to change a mood as quickly as the humble banjo, one moment it can lead a band to bring about raucous dancing and frivolity and then, with a subtle change in tempo, it can evoke a haunting sadness. Minnesota-based Mean Mary – or Mary James – has pieced together... Continue Reading →
Blurring the lines between folk, dream-pop and chart accessibility, Roses, the title track of her EP, is a charming and graceful calling card. It revels in space and atmosphere, restraint and understatement, the beat doing only enough to provide sonic hooks to hang minimalist music on, the guitars used sparingly, the bass line merely punctuation... Continue Reading →
There may be folky, western vibes at the heart of Refugee, but it revels in sonic ideas garnered from across the globe, with a particular love for the sounds of south-east Asia, the tabla drums and flitting flutes adding exotic balance to the more familiar instrumentation. And although I don’t really like the term World... Continue Reading →
I like when an albums artwork reflects or supports the music within it, I like things to tie-in and work towards as a finished package and Andy Clark’s album ‘I Love Joyce Morris’ does this brilliantly because what is hinted on the outside is fully realised on the inside. To say the album comes across... Continue Reading →
Greg Smith seems to have mastered the art of writing fairly straight-forward songs that he is then able to dress up beautifully. Not taking anything away from what lies at the heart of his song but they beat with simple, classic chord structures and familiar progressions…and why not? What makes the songs stand out from... Continue Reading →
