Reviews

Katriona and Jamie return with their fourth album, ‘Conflict Tourism’, and they continue their upward trajectory. This time around there is a central theme of them as observers of the threads of conflict running through us and the world that we live in. During the past couple of years touring the duo picked up on… Read more »

Acid Croft, the original and genuine, since 1990. Now with added mouth music. Accept no substitutes. Most I guess would have been quite contented with another straight forward Shooglenifty album, but when you’re the originators of a whole new funky Caledonian genre then resting on your laurels isn’t an option. The question is not if… Read more »

Note the absent capitals – somewhat confusing – ‘na-mara’ alias Paul McNamara and Rob Garcia, delve into the continent to source a good percentage of this, their third album, whether it be the adaptation of Spanish and French trad or as inspiration for their own writing. Only to be expected when you scratch under the… Read more »

Received wisdom guides that reviews always begin with some kind of background, an explanation maybe….well, fiddlesticks to that. Put straight, you need Blackhouse, don’t read any further, it’s seven shades of brilliant! Received wisdom you see could never apply to The Peatbog Faeries. If you’ve started this second paragraph instead of rushing out the door… Read more »

Yeti Love is a duo of songwriters Peter Hamilton and Dave Sears. Hamilton is half Spanish with roots in Galicia and a lot of the rhythmic patterns of the regions folk music have fed into Yeti Loves sound. Add to that his and Sears backgrounds in rock bands and you have a pretty powerful mix,… Read more »

The art of folk rocking with taste and dexterity has latterly been Mawkin’s effective calling card which The Ties That Bind cements with considerable aplomb. It’s testament to a repertoire which whilst electric and edgy, is never once OTT or less than thoughtful. This is a well put together set, you can almost hear the… Read more »

Now, here’s an idea, Samuel Taylor – not Sam notice, very formal – has hit on the notion of travelling here and there around the globe and recording in likable localities if he gets the itch. This one’s been created in Nashville, Tenessee, hence the subtitle and it’s a rather fetching little item. hat’s come… Read more »

It’s a dark place that Emily Portman writes about or imagines. There is little light, in a world full of natural, wild and rustic imagery, a place where lore and the supernatural twist what we think we already know and understand. At times it’s down-right disturbing, disturbing but fascinating as Portman draws on all the… Read more »

Cole Stacey and Joseph O’Keefe, two migratory Devonians with strong ties to Midge (Ultravox) Ure, are the centre of India Electric, the sort of act you just can’t pin down for love nor money. And that’s the very reason they’re so glorious. You’d expect something quite basic from two lads, one vocal and percussion the… Read more »

Lots of bands now come as a collective rather than a fixed line up, umbrella organisation means that whilst key individuals retain control others can be cherry picked to suit certain songs. The man with the ideas here is singer songwriter Steve Cox, obviously in love with jangly American folk rock and a certain strand… Read more »