Reviews

This is a duo album by two members of the Scottish band Rura, the duo of David Foley and Jack Smedley which initially formed in 2008 has become the cornerstone of one of the biggest names in Scottish contemporary folk music. In between touring and recording with Rura long standing colleagues and friends David Foley… Read more »

I’d lost touch with Rory Block so when ‘Prove it On Me,’ came along it was like hearing from an old friend again. If that sounds a little trite consider I’d not happened across an album since she cut a run of superb, gutsy records for Rounder in the 80s. If I recall ‘High Heeled… Read more »

teve Rothery, guitarist with Marillion teases with a new release from his soon to be Crowdfunded album ‘Revontulet.’ The instrumental ‘La Silla’ offers a five-minute taste of lush synths and melodic rhythms, blended with Rothery’s signature ethereal and emotive guitar, conjuring a rather cinematic and swirling soundscape. The track is accompanied by an impressive time-lapse… Read more »

Raised under the tutelage of no less than Steve Knightly, Kirsty Merryn’s last album concerned women neglected by history all of whom had riveting achievement as a back story. ‘Our Bright Night,’ strips away much of that previous effort’s finery, centring on Merryn’s keyboard skills and support from the likes of Phil Beer and Sam… Read more »

Not what you might expect for a debut album, note I didn’t say recording, the Rowan Tree put out an EP a couple of years ago which signalled a talented bunch of Cornish driven musicians intent on putting some soul and depth back into the music of their own back yard. Here though they’ve gone… Read more »

Flavours of New Orleans run through this satisfying collection of new songs from Kirsty Almeida, her first studio album since 2014’s ‘Déjàvoodu.’ She returns to with vigour and aplomb following a little time away. Her confidence and skill as a songwriter is evident throughout the album whilst the cover picture hints at self-reflection or perhaps… Read more »

Although born and bred in the UK, Bai has lived in Brussels for over 25 years. He could be described loosely as a bluesman but his influences run wide encompassing soul, funk and jazz and all delivered in a relaxed intimate manner. As Kamara admits, blues is always at the heart of his music but… Read more »

In the twilight world of the Brothers Cutthroat death, drugs and murder rule supreme. Taking their cue from the Seattle school of sleaze for this their second outing they’ve produced an incendiary mix of power and melody – a sort of grungified Ramones meets T.Rex if you will. With legendary producer Jack Endino (Mudhoney, Nirvana… Read more »

Things haven’t always gone smoothly for Judy Dyble, the resilient sort of lady who thoroughly deserved her 2004 reawakening, from which she’s spun a whole line of albums which reveal her as a writer of other worldly fantasy, songs about things just slightly out of view or round a corner. There’s something enticing and entirely… Read more »

Songwriter though, probably, best known as a guitarist, James Elkington is clearly someone who you’d like to have around in the recording studio. Born in England but having moved to the US in the 90s, he’s made his base in Chicago where he’s been involved in musical projects with the likes of Wilco as well… Read more »