SpiralEarth.co.uk - Reviews

Steve Knightley & Jenna

A NEAR capacity audience relished the extraordinary musicianship and singing of Steve Knightley at the Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton. Knightley - one half of the ever-popular West Country acoustic folk group Show of Hands - was in town on the second leg of a 25-date tour Even in a fairly large theatre setting, Knightley managed to bring a chatty intimacy to this well-produced show. Mind you, he knows how to get his wonderful songs across � venues are no problem.

Work Harder & One Day You�ll Find Her

Barney Morse-Brown is probably best recognised on the folk circuit as the cellist in Eliza Carthy�s current band. But as Duotone, and in Work Harder & One Day You�ll Find Her, you won�t hear the link.

Shipwrecks And Static

Foghorns and lilting seas; wind catching in the sails, the promise of land on the horizon. Somehow Inge Thomson manages to capture all the essence of nautical life on Shipwrecks And Static, but the listener is left wondering how when this is not a typically �folk� album, though she may have you fooled by the album opening. Nevertheless, there�s nothing overtly hornpipe, there�s no bereft maiden waiting for her sailor.

Silent June

It wouldn�t be a gross exaggeration to deem Silent June a highly anticipated release, which, of course, is a coup for any new artist on the scene. Highly anticipated, because the listener simply could not know what to expect: there�s Belinda O�Hooley, once the ivory-anchor of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, comedienne of the live show, folk and classical piano connoisseur; Heidi Tidow, a singer songwriter, plus a peppering of appearances from some of the folk scene�s young darlings in the form of Jackie Oates, Cormac Byrne and Anna Esslemont.

The Imagined Village: Live

Always a commanding performer, not one detail of Chris Wood's 'Hollow Point' is lost in this big hall; the nightmare lurches from daydream to grim reality, as the penny drops, and Charles De Menezes enters the tube station.

Mark The Hard Earth

Second album syndrome states that artists are creatively spent having used up their entire repertoire in one fell swoop previously. Coupled with this, many fail to make a stylistic leap, leaving a hollow release. And, although �Mark The Hard Earth� doesn't forge a new identity for Kris Drever, it is more cohesive, enigmatic, and contains a classic from the man himself.

Rachel Taylor-Beales and Stacey Blythe Live

The grandeur of the Millennium Centre is a splendid place to witness an afternoon of live music. For some time now the venue have used their foyer stage to promote Welsh performers, from numerous genres, and it's here we find Rachel Taylor-Beales and Stacey Blythe, an inspired combination.

Map Or Direction

John Smith has travelled to some far off places for 'Map Or Direction'. Firstly, the southern states of America, then, deep within his own psyche. Both journeys have led to some extraordinary material for this unforeseen release.

Lau Live

This may be greedy, seeing as Lau have been nominated for 'Best Group' and 'Best Live Act', but hang on, where's 'Arc Light', for 'Best Album, in the current BBC Folk Award nominations and criminal oversight of the year, where is 'Winter Moon', surely the best original track. The latter is played early on here in a stunning set, the tender words and wistful chord progressions haven't lost any of their power since it's release.

Dick Gaughan live

Tonight's opening act, Sally In The Wood (named after a stretch of road between Batheaston and Bradford upon Avon fact fans!) bring a lyrical stillness to the room with stylish arrangements of 'The Cuckoo Song', 'Waiting For The Lark', and 'Three Drunken Maidens'.