Reviews

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 »

There has always been a dichotomy between recorded and live music that throws up questions like can the live performance deliver the spirit of the recording? Or, looking at that in reverse, does the live performance get captured in recording? The latter often being easier to get right. For example, Richard Thompson had a series… Read more »

It’s like fish without chips, I mean fish is great alone but with chips, well…. Morecambe without Wise, Eric’s brilliant on his own, a pillar of entertainment yet with Ernie to bounce off the stuff of legend. So the same applies, the Home Service are a touchstone band playing an epic English rooted rock stirred… Read more »

Collaborations, projects, accidental meetings. They’re all sources of inspiration for the more inventive musician but, in truth, the results of such musical experimentation vary enormously in terms of their relative success. Then, with that in mind, there are no apologies for the fact that this review looks at a magnificent record that came out earlier… Read more »