Reviews

Welcome to our review round up by Simon Jones of other releases received and duly considered, November 2019:   Postcards & Pocketbooks. – Bella Hardy Subtitled‘The Best Of,’ it’s hard to credit it that ten years have passed since Bella Hardy debuted, winning a pile of gongs and awards since, perhaps a decade is a… Read more »

Luke Jackson’s got a sharp eye and a computer memory. The title holds significance, Journals is the recorded equivalent of cinema verite wherein melody and lyric form pictures in your mind as Jackson’s world view unfolds. We live in uncertain times at any level you care to mention, what’s revealed here is just how deep… Read more »

With a nod in the direction of Banksy, Chris While and Julie Matthews deliver again on a set which is their strongest in many a moon, amplified by the fact underneath all the calm there flows a river of anger, frustration and fire, balanced by ever present compassion. Hasn’t it always been so? From the… Read more »

This London based four-piece first hit my radar back in early summer with the digital release of their debut single ‘Play Johnny Play’ – a hard driving rocker sung in strident tones by vocalist Callum Lury – that immediately put one in mind of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their live shows have drawn… Read more »

A weird name which reflects the fact that the sound here is other worldly, a dream after a fashion, Bird In The Belly reshape and craft alternate versions of trad folk, doggerel and lore producing a haunted selection which has quite an impact. Imagine Comus stirred with Steeleye Mark 2, some of Kate Bush’s fantasy… Read more »

Sam Kelly and Ruth Notman have joined forces to produce  a ten-track album of traditional and self-penned songs within a contemporary style. Damien O’Kane as producer adds that extra expert touch. It’s almost ten years since Ruth Notman released her last album, ‘Life of Lilly’.  Although well received at the time, Ruth decided on a… Read more »

Harp and a Monkey have been beavering away in the North West of the UK producing a rather unique sound to their folk music for some ten years. To create something of a fun challenge as the band started, they decided that their instrumentation should be refreshed with instruments that they had not played before…. Read more »

There are blues guitarists in this world and then there’s Ronnie Earl – master of the smouldering tempo and as guest star David Bromberg on this album explains a man whose depth of feeling cannot be learned. This, his 26th album which traverses classic blues and soul, is another testament to his talents. A masterclass… Read more »

A child prodigy, he was born to be a musician with all the highs and lows that invariably lie in wait for those who follow their muse. Jack Bruce’s career burned brightest as a young man, his early years as a professional musician reflecting the zeitgeist of the 1960’s. He may have considered himself a… Read more »

Kirsty McGee has been grafting away as a singer songwriter for around 20 years in what has become something of an international task. Following her muse early on was all about finding her own space between folk and Americana as it’s become termed. Labelling this space as ‘hobopop’ has provided a wide palette of music… Read more »