Live review: Dave Hill, album launch for Dirty Foot Lane at Mount Hotel, Wolverhampton 29/10/26

Album reviews, Glam rock, Live reviews, Music culture & history, Rock music, , , , , , , ,

It’s not the usual sort of venue I’ve seen him at over the years but one of the function rooms in the rather plush surroundings of the Mount Country Manor Hotel on the outskirts of Wolverhampton is the setting for the official launch event  for Dave Hill’s first ever solo album, Dirty Foot Lane.

With a mix of music and chat, Hill is questioned by TV presenter and long-time Slade fan, Nick Owen, together with a specially-assembled band playing a selection of songs from the album and an old Slade hit to finish. Except it isn’t Nick Owen to start with as he has the wrong night in his diary (!) so a member of the organising crew ably fills in until Owen hurriedly makes his way over to the venue.

Just as Hill’s surprisingly thoughtful autobiography (So Here It Is! released back in 2017) was not simply a well-rehearsed selection of ’70s glam-era anecdotes, but delved into stark class tensions in Hill’s wider family background, his late mother’s long-running mental health battles as well as his own similar struggles, this highly-personal debut solo album can be seen as something as a companion piece to the autobiography. Hill pays tribute to his mother during the Q&A as he talks movingly about ‘Sweet and Tender’ – one of the songs on the album, which was written in her memory.

Although it isn’t one of the songs performed live this evening, Hill also talks about the inspiration for the album’s title track, ‘Dirty Foot Lane’. A country lane on the Wolverhampton/South Staffordshire border that the young Hill would wander up and down with his mom, dad and sister, Carol, (and would later visit with his own wife and children) Slade geeks will be aware that the song celebrating those times first appeared on Keep on Rockin’, the 1994 album from the post-Holder/Lea version of Slade. Three decades on it’s been given a complete makeover by album producer, Django Holder, about whom Hill is also very generous in his praise tonight.

And if that name has a ring of familiarity about it, Django is, indeed, the son of Noddy Holder and his novelist wife, Suzanne. It was on Noddy Holder’s recommendation that Django Holder, now a noted record producer, took on the production duties for the album. “He’s very quiet,” reveals Hill, noting the obvious contrast with his two larger-than-life parents. Nonetheless, Hill credits him with bringing a wide palette of musical influences to the album, citing Neil Young and Tom Petty to name two. Hill also reveals that he and Noddy Holder are now “closer than ever” – which may warm the hearts of many fans, given some of the well-documented tensions in the Slade camp since the original band split in the early ‘90s.

Musically, we are treated to a live performance of ‘Thanks for the Good Times’, Hill’s affectionate and heartfelt tribute to all the happy memories of working with Noddy Holder, Jim Lea and Don Powell and manager/producer, Chas Chandler. On a less optimistic but nevertheless moving note, there’s also a rendition of ‘She Had a Troubled Heart’, another song from the album. Based on a true story, it deals with a broken heart that couldn’t be fixed and the ultimately tragic consequences of that. While not an autobiographical song per se, it clearly means a lot to Hill and he speaks of his ambassadorial work with the Black Country Mental Health charity who are represented at the launch event tonight.

That’s not to say there aren’t some lighter moments during the evening as well. At one point, Hill’s own sister, Carol, is brought up on stage to recall the youthful excitement she felt on tuning into the radio and first hearing her brother had made it to number one in the charts.

The formal part of the evening ends in suitably upbeat fashion with a sing-along rendition of Slade’s ‘Far Far Away’. Then it’s a lengthy but good-natured queue at the signing desk as those present wait to get their CD’s, books and records signed and get their photos taken with the man himself.

Dirty Foot Lane is released on 13 November 2026

Related posts:

Book: ‘Slade In The 1970s’ by Darren Johnson

Interview with Slade legend Don Powell

Interview with former Slade legend Jim Lea

Jim Lea at the Robin 2, Bilston 2017

Before glam: the debut 60s singles of Bowie, Bolan, Slade, Mud and Sweet

Slade, strikes and the three-day week: the story of the greatest Christmas record ever made

Slade at Donnington 1981

Slade at White Rock Theatre, Hastings 2015

Giants of Rock, Minehead 26-29 January 2018

Slade at Brighton 2019

Slade at Hastings 2025

Folk: album review – Bird in the Belly ‘Only Dogs as Friends’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

In spite of the resultant buzz around Bird in the Belly’s 2018 debut album, The Crowing, the Sussex-based four-piece didn’t appear on my radar until the following year when the follow-up, Neighbours and Sisters, was released and immediately announced itself to me as one of the stand-out folk albums of the year. Another well-received follow-up, After the City, was released in 2022 and now, some four years later, we have their long-awaited follow-up.

With their typically forensic approach to unearthing compelling historical tales, Only Dogs as Friends tackles the theme of criminality and features a gruesome cast of notorious villains across its twelve songs which are drawn from a mixture of traditional broadsides, published poems and original compositions, all set to newly-composed melodies.

Ben ‘Jinwoo’ Webb: “We wanted to focus on outsiders – people who have been feared or were fearful. As always, we tried to find overlooked stories and songs and this album is very character driven.”

Highlights include the thrillingly dark title track, which tells the tale of a burglar who was shot dead in the Sussex coastal town of Shoreham-by-Sea but only identified when a stray dog came into the pub were his body was being held and immediately recognised it’s felonious former master.

Once again, Bird in the Belly’s trademark contrasting vocals of Ben Webb and Laura Ward are ably backed by the immensely talented duo of multi-instrumentalist Tom Prior and percussionist, Adam Ronchetti.

Gripping story-telling, enchanting harmonies and beautifully-composed melodies, Only Dogs as Friends maintains the achingly high standards that Bird in the Belly have continued to set for themselves and is an utterly compelling album.

Released: 30 October 2026 https://www.birdinthebelly.com/

Related review:

Album review – Bird in the Belly ‘After the City’

Album review – Bird In The Belly ‘Neighbours and Sisters’

Live review: Stray at the Carlisle, Hastings 16/10/26

Hastings music scene, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , ,

Stray are possibly not the only band of a certain vintage to have played Hastings Pier in their 1970s heyday and then returned to play to an enthusiastic crowd at the Carlisle rock pub down the road some fifty years later. But after a very successful gig last Autumn (which, sadly I missed because I was at the White Rock down the road for Dave Hill and Slade), the irrepressible Del Bromham and his band are back to rally the troops for another Hastings gig.

Following an impressive solo performance from guitarist Dylan Gers (son of Iron Maiden legend, Janick), Stray took to the stage and launched into an exhilarating ‘Time Machine’ from the band’s 1970 debut album. Although I was still too young to see Stray in the 1970s (at Hastings Pier or anywhere else for that matter), I have seen various incarnations of the band on the live music circuit and at various festivals over the years, going back to the early ‘90s.

This current formation, however, is made particularly special with the inclusion of second guitarist/vocalist, Pete Dyer (who originally joined the band in the mid ‘70s), as well as the addition of keyboardist, Simon Rinaldo, whose studied take on that classic 1970s-era Hammond-driven sound brings a whole extra dimension to Stray.

The set-list is a good mix of material from the classic early to mid ‘70s albums alongside a generous sprinkling of songs from their acclaimed late-period renaissance albums (Valhalla from 2010 and About Time from 2023).

Stray may not be one of the biggest names from the world of heavy rock but they are certainly one of the most resilient and tonight they delivered an absolute masterclass of a performance with powerful riffs, great melodies and classic songs. Well over 50 years since they first formed and well over 30 years since I first caught sight of them, Stray are one of those bands who just seem to keep on getting better and better each time I see them.

Related posts:

Rock and Roll Survivor: interview with Del Bromham of Stray

Live Review – Giants of Rock, Minehead 26-29 January 2018

Live Review – The Great British Rock & Blues Festival – Skegness 19-22 January 2018

This week’s featured artist: James Kerry Trio – latest album ‘Tributaries’

Album reviews, Folk music, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

From Kent, and an established member of the modern English folk scene, James Kerry is well known for his passionate, rhythmic playing rooted in folk dance tradition. Having begun his musical journey at a young age he quickly progressed and has since played extensively in the Morris and ceilidh circuits and performed with many bands and groups including Foot Down, and the Hilltop Ceilidh Band, both of which he is a founding member of.

As was the case for so many of us, the Covid pandemic of 2020-21 saw Kerry with a fair degree of extra time on his hands. That opportunity gave rise to a creative burst where he was able to explore his own playing, writing and arranging and, ultimately, led to the release of his debut album – Source (reviewed here in 2023).

Inspired by a love of rivers and nature and the countryside, and given added impetus by a recent move to living on a boat, the name relates to the beginning of a river, of course, but also to the beginning of Kerry’s career as a solo artist. The rivers/waterways theme was then continued with the follow-up album, Tributaries which was released in October 2025.

Commenting on the release of Tributaries, James Kerry said:

“Tributaries is our second studio album, a follow-up to Source. This one draws from all sorts of places — old tunes I’ve loved for years, new ones I’ve written along the way, and everything in between. Some are wild and full of energy, others quieter and more reflective, but all of them are rooted in the folk tradition that continues to inspire me.”

While Tributaries brings together two of the main contributors who played alongside Kerry on Source, that collaborative approach is consolidated with the project now formalised as a trio.

The James Kerry Trio are:

• James Kerry (Melodeon): Known for his rhythmic, dance-inspired style and deep roots in the English tradition, Kerry provides the melodic heart of the album. His original tunes on this record showcase a maturing compositional voice that respects tradition while pushing into contemporary territory.

• Tom Kitching (Fiddle & Mandolin): A powerhouse of the English folk scene, Kitching’s contribution is vital to the album’s texture. Bringing his signature “gritty and honest” style, his fiddle playing acts as a sophisticated counterpoint to the melodeon.

• Danny Tonks (Guitar): Providing the engine room for the trio, Tonks’ percussive fingerstyle guitar and nuanced harmonic foundations bind the melodic instruments together, creating a full, resonant ensemble sound.

While the trio remains firmly grounded in the English tradition, for this second album there is a greater emphasis on original material with a number of tunes composed by Kerry, alongside a couple from Kitching in addition to the trio’s own arrangements of traditional tunes as well as an adaption of a contemporary piece by Simon Care.

Fresh-sounding and exhilarating and bursting with energy, inventiveness and creativity, lovers of traditional tunes will find plenty to like in the James Kerry Trio’s Tributaries.

Released: 1 October 2025 https://jameskerrymusic.com/

Related posts:

Album review – James Kerry ‘Source’

Album review – Tom Kitching ‘Seasons of Change’

Book review: ‘Seasons of Change – Busking England’ by Tom Kitching

Folk: album review – Spell Songs ‘In Thin Air’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , , , ,

Originally commissioned by the organisers of the Folk By The Oak festival, the Spell Songs project was initially conceived as a one-off project but are now onto their third album.

Spell Songs brought together seven outstanding musicians and comprises Karine Polwart (tenor guitar/vocals), Julie Fowlis (whistles/vocals), Seckou Keita (kora/percussion/vocals), Kris Drever (guitars/bass/vocals), Rachel Newton (electroharp/viola/vocals), Beth Porter (cello/ukulele/vocals) and Jim Molyneux (piano/keyboards/drums/percussion/vocals).

Following the success of the initial album The Lost Words Spell Songs in 2019 and its follow-up Let The Light In in 2021, In Thin Air is released as a musical companion to the acclaimed work by artist, Jackie Morris, and conservation writer, Robert Macfarlane, whose The Book of Birds was published earlier this year.

As I look onto our communal back-garden here on the south coast with its abundance of blackberries and newly-installed bird bath, I like to pride myself on how many feathered visitors we get in a typical day. Should that lull me into a false sense of security, however, both the book and the album are a timely reminder of the threats to our natural bird population and the 49 bird species it celebrates are all on the RSPB’s Amber or Red List. An enduring presence in folksong, as Polwart reminds us, birds inhabit “our languages and stories, our art and folklore, and our individual and cultural memories.” We lose them at our peril.

Featuring twelve tracks that lean heavily on the seven key themes in the book – nest, egg, beak, song, feather, flight and migration – the album  is a stunning celebration of the life-cycle of the bird. Highlights include the title track which gently opens the album to the sound of birdsong and soft whisperings; ‘Najan (Nest)’ with its African rhythms and reminding us of the truly international flavour of some of our favourite avian visitors; and ‘Flight’ which takes us on a magical journey with its delicate melodies and sumptuous vocals.

An ambitious project that’s beautifully executed, and drawing on a captivating juxtaposition of musical influences, In Thin Air is another triumph for this hugely creative and talented seven-piece.

Released: 4 September 2026 https://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2026

Folk music, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , , , , , ,

As we headed towards our usual rendezvous point in a Banbury layby so that our assembled group could drive in together and set up camp next to one another, there were two niggles on my mind. Would we cope with the heat during this latest heatwave? And would there  be an easy Plan B in place if the new-fangled ticket app didn’t work on my phone in the middle of a field with poor mobile reception?

The latter proved to be a doddle. Although the ticket app wasn’t loading properly, I gave my order details to a special helpdesk at the wristband exchange and they printed off old-fashioned tickets for me so we could pick up our wristbands. Phew!

Cropredy 2026 (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

As for the heat. It was bloody hot. Even when I’m abroad laying by a pool I prefer to be ‘sun adjacent’ and avoid direct sunlight by finding myself a large sunshade and, ideally, a big cluster of palm trees to plonk myself under. There were none of those at Cropredy, of course. On the plus side, I think we’ve got better at adapting to life at the festival in the middle of a heatwave: copious amounts of fresh water alongside all the beer and cider, hats, umbrellas, Factor 50, time spent standing at the front by the stage (which was naturally in shadow throughout the day) and not being afraid of giving some of the acts a miss and heading back to the campsite to sit under the awning if it all got a bit too much.

Fairport pride themselves on running a pet-friendly festival (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

This was the second year of the new slimmed-down version of Cropredy, now with a maximum cap of 6,500 on ticket sales and the line-up focused more on folk scene favourites and less on big-name headliners from the world of rock and pop. It’s working. There’s still a nice mix between the familiar and the not-so-familiar. Crucially, it’s ensured that the festival remains financially viable with a predictable income stream and a budget based around that.

Looking at the music, the new discoveries, for me, included the entertaining and highly energetic Banter; the rock-country-soul crossover band, Danny the Champions of the World (yes I know have been around almost 20 years now but it was my first time seeing them); and the Celtic folk band, The Haar, who performed breathtakingly unique version of traditional folk standards.

Danny the Champions of the World (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

More familiar favourites included Turin Brakes whose particular brand of laid-back, melodic, indie rock which went down so well when they last played Cropredy back in 2022 and was equally well-received this time. They’ve clearly built a special rapport with the Cropredy audience, partly because of the excellent music but also because of the lifelong connection to the festival that their drummer, Rob Allum, has – he told us been coming to Cropredy since he was a toddler.

Turin Brakes (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Another set of familiar faces was the French Canadian Celtic folk group Le Vent Du Nord, who have never failed to woo the crowd with their fantastic musicianship and energetic performances at every festival I’ve seen them at over the years and Cropredy was no exception, as did Breabach.

Braebach (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Hayseed Dixie, also made a welcome return to Cropredy with their tongue-in-cheek but hugely entertaining selection of Bluegrass arrangements of heavy metal classics.

Hayseed Dixie (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

And then we get to the perennial Cropredy icons: Namely, Richard Thompson, who headlined on the Friday night with a stunning set of solo acoustic RT classics, followed by an equally stunning electric set with some of his old Fairport bandmates. And then, headlining on the Saturday, of course, Fairport Convention themselves.

Fairport Convention – Dave Pegg (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

There has been no new studio album for some while now (2020’s Shuffle and Go) being the last. But the band’s huge back-catalogue of albums and total lack of Top 20 singles means there’s plenty of scope for varying the set-list. It was wonderful to hear a couple of songs from Rising For The Moon  (the band’s final album with Sandy Denny) and Festival Bell (my favourite Fairport album of the modern era).

Ralph McTell (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

While it was a shame Richard Thompson wasn’t available to return the favour from the previous night and do a guest slot with his former bandmates, I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of him next year when it’s the band’s 60th anniversary.

Vikki Clayton (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

In the meantime, we had guest spots from Steve Ashley, Ralph McTell, Vikki Clayton, Jen Butterworth and Anna Ryder to enjoy and by the time ‘Matty Groves’ and ‘Meet on the Ledge’ came we’d had a wonderfully varied delve into Fairport’s eclectic back catalogue.

Til the same time next year!

Fairport Convention – Simon Nicol (Photo credit: Simon Putman)

Related posts:

Interview with Chris Leslie 2026

Interview with Ric Sanders 2025

Interview with Dave Pegg 2025

Interview with Simon Nicol 2024

Live review: Fairport Convention at Union Chapel 2025

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2025

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2024

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2023

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2022

Book review: ‘On Track: Fairport Convention – every album, every song’ by Kevan Furbank

Fairport Convention at Bexhill 2020

Live review: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention August 2018

Fairport Convention at Cropredy 2017

Album review – Fairport Convention ‘Come All Ye: The First Ten Years’

Fairport Convention – 50th anniversary gig at Union Chapel 2017

Fairport Convention at Cropredy 2014

Fairport Convention at Union Chapel 2014

Folk: album review – Jon Loomes ‘Dust in the Sun’

Album reviews, Folk music, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Dust in the Sun by Jon Loomes is presented as a ‘lost’ English folk album, recorded in the long hot summer of 1976.

According to the press blurb: “A troubled artist made a remarkable folk album whose creation was beset by difficulties. Almost immediately, the label collapsed into insolvency. A pressing plant fire destroyed almost the entire original run, after which the album slipped into rumour and half-memory, after which the album slipped into rumour and half memory. Dust in the Sun was long thought lost forever. Miraculously, a single copy arrived into the present day, and the album has now been reissued to mark its fiftieth anniversary.”

This is an all an elaborate scene-setting fiction, of course. Unlike yours truly I doubt Loomes was even old enough to be spending the summer of ’76 tearing around the streets on a chopper bike, let alone recording long lost folk albums.

What the album does do, however, is authentically capture the ambience and repertoire of some of the great folk albums of that era, with an affectionate nod to artists such as Martin Carthy and Nic Jones.

There’s plenty of tried and tested classics from the Trad. Arr. repertoire that seasoned folk fans will be more than familiar with (‘Bonnie Bunch of Roses’, ‘Maid on the Shore’ ‘The Female Drummer’ et al). Yet in spite of the luridly tongue-in-cheek nature of the album’s back-story there is a sincerity and a passion behind Loomes’ interpretations that immediately brings the songs, and their vivid story-telling, to life.

https://jonloomes.bandcamp.com/track/bonnie-bunch-of-roses

Add in some authentic period production, some beautiful accompaniment to Loomes’ vocals and guitar (Rachel Crowther – bass; Tom Kitching – fiddle; Trolsynx – side drum; Rakoczy – English pipes; recorder, concertina; Gill Loomes-Quinn – Dulcimer; and Becky Turner – Uillean pipes) and you have the makings of a genuinely compelling folk album. And for those who are intrigued to find out more about the album’s fictional back-story, there’s even an accompanying novel.

Released: June 2026 https://jon-loomes.com/home

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Diamond Rainbows’

Album reviews, Folk music, Rock music, , , , , ,

Diamond Rainbows is the fifth album from the Julie July Band and their fourth album of original material. Their first, back in 2018, was a tribute to the late Sandy Denny, representing a foundational plank of their live show. Although Denny herself drew on a much wider range of influences than the folk rock label usually given to her would imply, with each successive release the Julie July Band have been on a mission to broaden the palette of musical textures they draw from. The results have been consistently pleasing and Diamond Rainbows is no exception.

The joyfully optimistic ‘Sunny Day’ with its jaunty fiddle playing is a classic slice of English folk rock while opening track ‘Riverside’ has that lush West Coast feel from the golden age of introspective singer-songwriter albums. The Eagles-ish ‘Just a Little’ again picks up that West Coast vibe. Meanwhile, ‘Medicine Man’ with its energetic rhythms coupled with gorgeous vocal harmonies put me in mind of songs like Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’. Elsewhere on the album there’s some more ethereal prog-rock influences and even a touch of gypsy jazz.

In short, while the songs exude freshness and vibrancy, the influences are pleasingly familiar, without ever straying into the formulaic.

As the Julie July Band themselves put it: “Diamond Rainbows celebrates the excitement of hearing new songs for the very first time. Every classic song was once unknown. This collection is an invitation to rediscover that sense of musical discovery.”

Throw in some top-notch musicianship from seasoned players, crystal clear vocals, beautiful harmonies and great song-writing and you’ve got the perfect summer album. Diamond Rainbows is highly recommended.

Released: 20th June 2026 https://www.juliejuly.co.uk/

Related posts:

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Wonderland’

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’ – A Tribute To Sandy Denny

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Lady of the First Light’

Folk-rock: album review – Julie July Band ‘Flight Of Fancy’

Folk: album review – Bity Booker ‘There’s No Song About a Stone’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

I first came across the delightful Bity Booker supporting Green Diesel in Brighton last summer. Describing her as “a London-based alt-folk singer-songwriter with beautiful songs, a sweet voice and some hilariously deadpan introductions” her performance certainly left an impression on me. Now she has an album out, which she refers to as her “first non-debut album”.

Bity Booker at the Folklore Rooms, Brighton – Photo credit: Darren Johnson

Bity Booker: “I call it a ‘non-debut album’ because I have long been making music in different forms, from death metal to alternative folk, so it feels strange calling it a ‘debut album’. It is the product of years of songwriting and performing solo as Bity Booker. I do take my time making things in a way that makes me happy, out of the commercial sphere and outside of norms and rules. I like to think of my creations as something organically formed and shaped by time, dreams, thoughts, rain and wind. These tape recordings feel very much alive, in the background you can hear sounds of birds, people, the sounds of London, all of which were in the room with me while recording.”

Photo credit: Stef Martin

Featuring Booker’s magical voice, her classical guitar and nine of her unique and never less than utterly charming compositions, There’s No Song About a Stone was recorded at home on a four-track tape recorder over a three-year period in South London and Thanet.

The natural world is a recurring theme in Booker’s songs or, more accurately, the natural world as a metaphor for human emotions: love, hope, sadness and a sense of belonging. The latter is very much the sentiment behind ‘Parrots in London’, Booker’s delightful paean to the growing population of feral parakeets who have made London their home. The song never fails to raise a smile when performed live, with its knowing nod to one of the capital’s most enduring urban myths (‘Some say they escaped from Jimi Hendrix’s cage’).

It’s certainly not all light and whimsical though and darker themes are explored in songs like ‘The Ballad of Lost Town’ and ‘A Tear’. Whatever the subject matter, Booker’s beguiling honesty as a performer and natural gift as a storyteller shine through.

Released: 5th June 2026 https://www.bitybooker.com/

Related post:

Bity Booker and Green Diesel in Brighton – June 2025

This week’s featured artist: Pàdruig Morrison – debut solo album ‘Buin’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , , , , ,

From the island of Grimsay, in Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Pàdruig Morrison is an acclaimed accordionist and composer. Performing around the country with fellow Uist musicians as part of Beinn Lee, the six-piece band have received many plaudits for their impassioned interpretations of traditional Gaelic music. Morrison himself was a finalist in the 2020 BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year and also picked up a Celtic Connections New Voices commission that same year.

Equally comfortable in the worlds of both classical and contemporary composition, Morrison has also written music for the National Trust for Scotland, St Magnus International Festival, Thirteen North string ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble, Edinburgh International Book Festival, members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and soundtracks for TV and radio. When he is at home and not performing or composing, he teaches accordion and piano and raises cattle and sheep on his croft in Grimsay.

Buin is Morrison’s debut solo album and features an array of original tunes and four original Gaelic songs. Written over the past six or seven years, the music distils his aural assimilation of old Gaelic songs and pipe melodies, to produce original material with a much older flavour.

‘Buin’ means belong. Equally appropriate titles for this album could have been ‘buain’, meaning harvest, and ‘buan’, meaning long-lasting. All of the tunes and the songs on this album have some form of reflection on belonging to a place, a people, and a culture.

https://padruigmorrison.bandcamp.com/track/an-t-ionnsachadh

Pàdruig Morrison: “I feel it is important to understand and convey how Gaels have long been fighting both for our right to land on which we can live and feed ourselves, and for our language to be spoken by those who come after us, just as it was by those who came before. This history is not sufficiently taught to us and I hope that this album might act as a reminder of, and an insight into, some of that history.”

Beautifully packaged with extensive liner notes, this album is an enchanting celebration of the Gaelic tradition and a fine showcase for Pàdruig Morrison’s exceptional musicianship and highly accomplished composition and arrangement skills.

Released: 25 January 2026 https://www.padruigmorrison.com/

Related post:

Album review – Beinn Lee ‘DEÒ’