Album of the Week – Jack Badcock ‘Cosmography’

Written by celtic music radio on May 4, 2024

JACK BADCOCK, the frontman, guitarist and a founding member of for award-winning band, Dallahan has released his debut solo album, Cosmography.

It came out yesterday, fulfilling a long-held ambition to place his diverse and arresting song writing skills centre stage.

A former finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year, the Glasgow-based Badcock penned songs for the band’s critically acclaimed 2023 album Speak of the Devil, which highlighted his thought-provoking song writing.

Cosmography is a collection of ten evocative and eloquent original songs produced by Euan Burton at Glasgow’s GloWorm Studios.

It’s a contemplative affair that effortlessly hops the genres and tugs at the push and pull of life – its fragility and rolling cycle. The glowing galaxy of songs prove an inspired and impressive first solo outing for one of Scotland’s most talented music makers.

Euan Burton also plays bass on the album with Louis Abbott on drums and percussion; Tom Gibbs on Rhodes piano and clarinet; Conor Smith on pedal steel; Roo Geddes on violin; Ryan Murphy on Uileann pipes and Dallahan bandmate Andrew Waite on accordion.

Some fine female Scottish singer songwriters provide backing and additional vocals including Siobhan Miller and Beth Malcolm, Josie Duncan and Joy Dunlop.

This is a rich mix of songs that fuse Badcock’s interests of history, travel and the human condition. He says: “The things that most often inspire me to write are human history as a whole as well as our own collective – and individual – place in the universe.”