Album Reviews
With Hunger Road, Fife-based trio SKYRIE marks a significant shift from their previous album Ceilidh-Celi. The band now presents a finely balanced blend of original songs and instrumentals, showcasing both their versatility and musical depth. The group, comprising Lesley Thompson Smith, James “Jimmy” Anderson, and Christopher Martin Smith, brings together years of experience, having […]
MARINA FLORANCE is a singer-songwriter, children’s book author, and poet. Originally from NW London, she is now based in Norwich and is well-known on the South of England club and festival circuit. This release will be a useful addition to radio presenters’ archives as we’re always desperately looking around for something different to play […]
For their tantalising debut album, Auld Springs New, Morag Brown and Lewis Powell-Reid have distilled the music they’ve been brewing for over a decade. The duo play a rich rand rewarding repertoire of acoustic instrumental music from Scottish traditions along with many others and this shared intuition and love of spontaneity allows them to freely move between melody, […]
Scotland-based vocal trio Juniper Three first caught my eye (and ear!) when they turned up on the Danny Kyle Open Stage during 2023’s Celtic Connections. Aimee Penman, Laura Hill and Outi Smith absolutely wowed the crowd with their CSN-style close melodic harmony performance gaining a “Highly Recommended” award against some fierce competition. This EP […]
Margo Cilker has delivered a vivid and superb debut album. She takes us from the Basque country of Spain – where individually numbered, hand-made Pohorylle back packs are made – to Enterprise (pop 1940) in Oregon and onwards into her memories of places and people with passion and colour. She carefully embraces and reflects on […]
Tennessee based singer/songwriter, Nathan Bell is currently touring the UK promoting his absorbing new release, Red White and American Blues (it couldn’t happen here.) The 13 tracks on the album feature roots and rock, blues, jazz and folk, all delivered in a sleeves-rolled-up, honest and uplifting way. While it’s not a protest album it does […]
The joys delivered by Malcolm Holcombe’s latest release, Tricks of the Trade, cannot be over-praised – quite simply it is glorious, rugged, ragged, drawling, dusty and moving, the shiniest gem of a record. Listening to the man from North Carolina serve up alluring gritty and earthy songs is one of life’s great musical delights. His […]
The music on this wistful yet celebratory album unfolds fluently and confidently over ten illuminating tracks with many telling the stories of women in Rachel Baiman’s family and the relationships between them. Fiddle music may be her first love but its appearance is muted as more expansive, sonic tones persist alongside slices of country, glimmers […]
The men who have brought the lost songs of unique Scottish army regiment The London Scottish to life on a new album will be guests on Isolation Discs aka Travels With My Auntie Liz on Tuesday, May 18. Liz Clark will be in conversation with Scottish folk singer/songwriter, Ian Bruce and former commander of the […]
Hugging the south bank of the River Clyde, Govan is an area of Glasgow world-renowned for its shipyards and some famous faces, living and dead. But its unsung heroes are the focus of this cultured, intriguing and elegant collection of songs by Scottish singer/songwriter Ainsley Hamill, who has delved into the lives of female rent […]
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