Category Archives: Album reviews

Alt-rock: album review – Vinyl Floor ‘Balancing Act’

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

Balancing Act is the sixth album from Danish alt-rock outfit, Vinyl Floor. Built around the nucleus of multi-instrumentalist brothers, Charlie and Daniel Pederson, the duo handle most of the musical duties themselves but expand their sound with some carefully-chosen guest musicians. The emphasis is firmly on catchy melodies and vibrant musical textures, with an array of strings, horns and vintage-sounding keyboards enriching the basic guitar-drums-bass indie-rock template.

Vinyl Floor: “Balancing Act is about trying to balance life and searching for beauty and meaning in a world full of chaos, treason,  insecurity and false promises. A world which itself currently seems out of balance.”

That’s a balancing act many of us are trying to pull off, of course, with varying degrees of success but I will say that here the scales very much tip towards the side of optimism. There’s a warmth about this album that undoubtedly puts one in a better mood for having listening to it.

Appearing alongside the Pederson brothers are the Swedish multi-instrumentalist Bebe Risenfors (whose CV includes work with Tom Waits and Elvis Costello) on horns and upright bass; Danish classical musician, Christian Ellegaard (who is a member of the national Danish Symphony Orchestra) on strings; and guitarist Daniel Hecht (of the Danish hard rock band, Franklin Zoo) who contributes additional guitar on a couple of tracks.

Intelligent indie rock with gorgeous sounds, lush harmonies and great hooks, Balancing Act grapples with contemporary angst with a firm nod to vintage pop-rock and in the process creates something that’s both satisfying and uplifting.

Released: 27 February 2026 https://www.facebook.com/vinylfloorband

Related post:

Album review – Thomas Charlie Pederson ‘Daylight Saving Hours’

This week’s featured artists: Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer – new album ‘Some Other Stories’

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

Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer are a South London-based duo. Their personal partnership also became a musical one when Crew turned her hand to songwriting and started performing them live. Palmer, already a songwriter himself and a veteran of the folk and roots scene, began sitting in on live performances, contributing guitar and occasional harmonies and before they knew it, a duo was born. Following an EP and a well-received debut album, Quiet After Midnight, the pair released their second album, Some Other Stories, at the end of 2025.

Drawing on influences from Fairport Convention to Elliott Smith, many of the songs reflect highly personal themes such as the beautifully melancholic ‘Look Back on Before’ which was released as a single.

Melanie Crew & Ross Palmer: “The songs contemplate the connections we make with each other and what happens when those connections break down. They examine the people we are and how we become those people. They look at the past with a kind eye and to the future with cautious optimism.”

The pair split songwriting duties just as they split lead vocal duties but as with all the best duos they are very much more than the sum of their parts and complement one another to perfection. The pair are also ably accompanied by Adam Beattie and Colin Somervell on double bass, Basia Bartz on violin, Nick Frater on piano and Hammond organ, and Ben Handysides on cello. Palmer’s bandmates, Yo Zushi and Russell Parton, from his other project Great days of Sail also feature in the choral parts on ‘Our Captain Cried All Hands’, the album’s one traditional ballad and another definite highlight.

Certainly a duo to watch and an album well worth checking out.

Released: 5 December 2025 https://www.melaniecrewandrosspalmer.com/

Americana: album review – Valerie Smith ‘Maggie’s Journal’

Album reviews, americana, , , , , , ,

Missouri-born, Valerie Smith is a renowned Americana, roots and bluegrass singer who has been recording and performing since the late ‘90s. Her latest project, Maggie’s Journal, is an ambitious double-disc album which has been twelve years in the making, inspired by the journals of her late grandmother, Margaret. Decades after Margaret’s death, a journal was discovered in a trunk in the attic by Smith’s cousins, giving a raw and powerful first-hand account of life in late-nineteenth century rural Missouri. Detailing a brutal existence marred by poverty, domestic violence, infant mortality, spousal addiction and endless betrayal, Little House on the Prairie this is not.

Valerie Smith: “Her story was surprising for many reasons; she had told no one of her younger years. We found out that she had been married at a very early age to a violent man, and we also learned that under her hardened exterior was a beautiful, kind, and gentle soul. She has a story to tell and her words are very personal, emotional, and raw. To me, her story is a masterpiece about life was like on the Missouri farms after the Civil War. This project took me 12 years to create because I literally felt that I was writing music with my great-grandmother, Maggie, whom I had never met.”

Featuring a mixture of original song compositions and spoken-word readings over musical accompaniment across it’s thirty tracks, Maggie’s Journal, is an enormously powerful tale of hardship, endurance and resilience but ultimately one of independence, love and fulfilment. Smith is a powerful storyteller and while the words do not always make for comfortable listening, it’s an absolutely gripping album that’s beautifully performed.

Released: 1 January 2026 https://thevaleriesmith.com/

This week’s featured artist: Holly Clarke – new album ‘Wild Feral Fierce’

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

A singer and guitarist who’s been making waves on the folk scene in recent years, Cumbria-born Holly Clarke has performed alongside the likes of Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Daoiri Farrell and Queer Folk. Appearing at festivals and venues such as, Sidmouth Folk Festival, Bromyard Folk Festival, Tiree Music Festival and The Glasshouse International Centre For Music, between 2019 and 2020 she was Artist in Residence at the latter, specialising in Traditional Folk Song and Ballads.

As well as performing solo, Holly has a duo with George Sansome (Granny’s Attic), The powerhouse band RE:VULVA (Amy Thatcher, Janice Burns, Cathy Geldard) and she also gigs with the trio, Holly and the Reivers, reviewed here back in 2024.

Wild Feral Fierce is Clarke’s debut solo album. Across ten tracks which mix interpretations of traditional ballads with original material, it’s an album that’s deeply rooted in folklore, myth and metaphor.

Holly Clarke: “The tracks on this record summon visions of the macabre, the supernatural and iconic figures from folklore and myth. This album is an unearthing of themes that aren’t just found lying dormant in the furrows of the land, they are alive and more relevant than ever.”

Traditional songs include beautifully atmospheric interpretations of well-known classics like ‘The Spectral Stag’ and ‘John Barleycorn’. However, like the late, great Bob Johnson of Steeleye Span, who had a similar fascination with such other-worldly themes, Clarke doesn’t just look to the British Isles for inspiration but also delves deep into the folk myths from Scandinavia where they’ve long excelled at this stuff over many centuries. ‘The Maiden Hind’, a classic Danish shapeshifting ballad, and ‘Sir Aage and Lady Elselil’, which has its roots in old Norse texts are two such tracks on this album.

Alongside her passion for adapting traditional ballads, Clarke is also a talented songwriter. The self-composed title track of the album, is a song where shape-changing is a metaphor for the joy that comes from self-acceptance and positive transformation.

Joining Clarke on the album is a core band featuring Anna Hughes (of Salthouse & Watersmeet) and fiddle and viola; Amy Thatcher (of Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening & The Shee) on accordion and synth; and John Pope (of Archipelago & MeLostMe) on double bass. The album also features a guest appearance from Kathryn Tickell on Northumbrian pipes.

Haunting and ethereal, with compelling storytelling and captivating vocals, Wild Feral Fierce is a wonderful slice of trad. arr. inspired folklore.

Released: 6 March 2026 https://hollyclarkemusic.com/

Related post:

Album review: Holly & The Reivers – Three Galleys

Folk: album review – Andy M. Stewart ‘Songs of Robert Burns’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , ,

No, not the tartan-bedecked Andy Stewart of ‘Donald Where’s Your Troosers’ fame but Andy M. Stewart, former lead singer Scottish folk band, Silly Wizard, who went on to enjoy a successful solo career before succumbing to a tragic premature death in 2015.

A number of his self-penned songs have entered the folk canon and been widely performed by artists around the world but Stewart was also an adept interpreter of traditional material as well and was particularly fond of the work of Robert Burns.

Back in 1989, Stewart was  approached by a German record label, Wundertute, to record an album of Burns’ songs. Accompanied by Mánus Lunny (guitar and bouzouki), Charlie McKerron (fiddle) and Donald Shaw (accordion and keyboards) the album proved to be a wonderful celebration of Scotland’s national bard but for one reason or another it suffered from a distinct lack of promotion at the time and failed to attract the attention it deserved. Now, almost four decades later, Stewart’s son, Donald, and his former Silly Wizard bandmate, Martin Hadden, have remastered the album and made it available through Hadden’s own Birnam CD enterprise.

This rediscovered lost gem is a genuinely delightful album. From the rousing rendition of ‘Rantin’ Rovin’ Robin’ which opens the album to the sombre beauty of ‘Green Grow the Rashes, O’ it’s a wonderful showcase for both Stewart’s extraordinary talent as an interpreter of traditional material and for Burns’ timeless genius as a poet and lyricist.

Released: 25 January 2026 https://www.birnamcdshop.com/product/andy-m-stewart/

Folk Rock / Indie: album review – The Revellers ‘Reactors’

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

Following a gap of nine years since their previous release, popular Shetland indie folk rock band, The Revellers, are back with their third album, Reactors. The Revellers are Michael Anderson (lead guitar), Magnus Bradley (lead vocals, guitars), Daniel Gear (fiddle), John William Halcrow (drums, vocals), Erik Peterson (mandolin, vocals). Lewie Peterson (banjo, mandolin, tenor guitar, vocals) and Adam Priest (electric and double bass).

Often described as ‘heavy folk music’, The Revellers are seven musicians brought up on a typical millennial musical diet of alt rock, punk and metal that’s combined with a love and reverence for traditional music that’s an intrinsic part of any Shetland upbringing. The result is an explosive mix of soaring melodies, searing guitar riffs and energetic fiddle, mandolin and banjo.

From reflections on the challenges and contradictions of modern life (‘The Reflector’) to standing up for what’s right (‘Stand Up and Fight’) there are themes that wouldn’t be out of place on any typical indie rock album, but this being a band with traditional influences at its heart there’s also material like a reworking of Rhoda Butler’s poem ‘Clearances’ in the Shetland dialect and the song ‘Republic of Vinland’ which celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage.

An album fizzing with energy and verve, it’s one that will appeal to ardent rock fans as much as dedicated folkies. Highly recommended.

Released: 26/11/25 https://www.facebook.com/therevellersshetland/

This week’s featured artist: singer-songwriter Stuart Mick Macfarlane – new album ‘The Test of Time’

Album reviews, Folk music, , , , , ,

Stuart ‘Mick’ Macfarlane is a Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist based in the Glasgow area. He has performed his folk-flavoured acoustic songs across Scotland, holding long-running residencies at venues including Jinty McGuinty’s in Glasgow and The Drovers Inn near Loch Lomond. Alongside his solo achievements, Macfarlane is a core creative force in Glasgow’s respected progressive rock band, Abel Ganz. His song ‘Thank You’, featuring special guest performances by Runrig’s Malcolm Jones and Fairport Convention’s Jerry Donahue on the group’s acclaimed self-titled album, has become an enduring live favourite among audiences.

Although Macfarlane’s compositions have frequently been covered by other artists, The Test of Time is his first solo album to receive a commercial release.

Stuart ‘Mick’ Macfarlane: “These songs mean so much to me. I’m delighted this album is finally out. I hope they resonate with people on an emotional level, as they’re all honest and heartfelt pieces of music that I’m very proud of.”

The themes explored on the album range from the highly personal to themes around environmental degradation and homelessness, and draw on traditional Scottish folk, classic singer-songwriter and progressive rock influences.

https://stuartmickmacfarlane.bandcamp.com/track/jigsaw-pride

Beautifully produced by long-time collaborator, Colin Johnson, at Glasgow’s Audio Lounge, the album features Macfalrlane on electric and acoustic guitars and vocals, Johnson on drums, Fiona Cuthill on fiddle, Stevie Lawrence on bouzouki and percussion, and a special guest vocal appearance from Macfarlane’s own daughter, Ceitidh, on the title track.

Showcasing some fine songwriting, lovely melodies and thought-provoking themes, The Test of Time is an engaging album that’s worth checking out.

Released 24 October 2025: stuartmickmacfarlane.bandcamp.com

Classic rock: album review – Peter Goalby ‘Don’t Think This Is Over’

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

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for early ‘80s Uriah Heep. Even though I would become totally besotted with the Hammond-pounding Hensley/Byron era, my entry point into the music of Uriah Heep was not through demons, wizards or magicians but rather through the Abominog album in 1982. And it was the Peter Goalby-fronted version of the band which I first saw live as a teenager.

Accordingly, I was delighted when two albums of archive solo material finally saw the light of day several decades after Goalby retired from the music business. These being Easy With the Heartaches (reviewed here) in 2021 and I Will Come Running in 2022.

Just as we might have thought the archives were now well and truly empty, a third solo album has also just been released. Goalby originally recorded the album not long after leaving Uriah Heep. However, it was only when a poorly labelled DAT was spotted at a storage facility over 30 years later, that the lost album was rediscovered.

Peter Goalby: “In 1987 I was offered a recording and publishing contract with RAK Records just after I’d left Uriah Heep.  I thought these songs would be very commercial in the 1980s and Smokie recorded Fallin’ Apart. I later found out the master tapes had been lost and I silently carried the disappointment that music I’d put my heart and soul into was gone forever.  Never say never!”

The nine-track album was personally overseen (from tape transfer, mastering and artwork) by Goalby. What will be of particular fascination for Heep fans is that this lost album was only finally completed in 2025 when Goalby’s former Uriah Heep bandmates, Mick Box (guitar) and John Sinclair (keyboards), added the final overdubs to the tracks. 

While it’s immediately obvious that this is an album that could only have been made in the 80s and contains many sonic motifs of the era, production-wise Don’t Think This Is Over is a very polished affair. It comes over as a fully-rounded album in every sense, not simply a collection of archive material. Songs like ‘I’ll Be The One’, ‘It’s Just My Heart Breakin’’ and the title track are all instantly catchy yet satisfyingly muscular AOR containing some great guitar licks and showcasing Goalby in very fine voice. Meanwhile, ‘Another Paper Moon’ and ‘Fallin’ Apart’ underscore his knack for turning out some great lighter-in-the-air (not phones – it’s still the ‘80s remember!) anthemic rock ballads.

Don’t Think This Is Over is essential listening for any fans of Peter Goalby / ‘80s Uriah Heep and is a very worthy companion both to his recently-released solo albums and to Abominog, Head First and Equator.

Released: 5th December 2025

Related posts:

Album reviews: four solo releases from the extended Uriah Heep family

July Morning – a fifty-year-old British rock song and an annual celebration of summer in Bulgaria

Uriah Heep, Bexhill 2025

Uriah Heep, Bexhill 2019

Uriah Heep at Giants of Rock 2018

Uriah Heep, London 2014

This week’s featured artist: original Rock and Roll / Americana from Sufferin’ Fools

Album reviews, americana, Rock music, , , , , ,

Assembled as a showcase for the songwriting of North Carolina-based Cameron Thomas, songs that “share the humble joys, struggles and mysteries of Southern life”, the North Carolina-based four-piece Sufferin’ Fools  recently released their second EP.

Sufferin’ Fools are singer/songwriter and guitarist, Cameron Thomas (who played and toured with The Delta Drift and The Corduroy Road); lead guitarist/pedal steel man, Andrew Wagley (a former member of Po Boyz); bass-player, Christopher (a former sound engineer); and drummer, Pete Schreiner (ex- Songs: Ohia/Magnolia Electric Co.)

Following an excellent debut (the four-track EP Bound To Get Burned, released in 2024) a five-track follow-up Forest for the Trees, came out in September this year.

Announcing the release of Forest for the Trees, Thomas said: “Even the best memories fade. Art, and music specifically, is a way to capture moments, preserve emotions good and bad, and memorialise life’s victories and failures – because they tell a story of who we are.”

Indeed, Forest for the Trees doesn’t shy away from the times when life hits you hard and the hard-learned lessons that stem from that. Most of the songs were written in the months preceding Hurricane Helene which caused catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States, then promptly recorded in the aftermath of the storm.

“Musicians’ feelings can’t help but come out through soundwaves,” reflected Schreiner. “We were lucky to have a place to channel our emotions.”

“One of the greatest pleasures of this project for me,” added Thomas, “is being accompanied by an authentic and experienced group of musicians who perform as if the stories are their own to tell. I think they make my voice as a songwriter stronger, more real and far more effective.”

Rootsy and gutsy but deliciously laid-back, with gorgeous pedal steel and heartfelt vocals addressing everyman themes, whether you’re in the rugged mountain regions of North Carolina or here on the south-coast of England, what you’ll find in Forest for the Trees is warm, honest rock and roll Americana, for the heart and for the soul.

Released: 26 September 2025 https://sufferinfools.live/home

This week’s featured artists: The Metagama Ensemble – new album ‘Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey’

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

The exotically-titled Metagama Ensemble take their name from the SS Metagama, a ship whose voyage across the Atlantic in the 1920s, marked the beginning of a mass emigration scheme from the Hebrides to Canada.

The Metagama Ensemble explain the aim of Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey as follows:

“Movingly commemorating and celebrating the lives of the young emigrants, from the heartache of homesickness and separation, the emotional poignancy of tragedy and loss, to the lively fun of cèilidh tunes on the dance floors of North America, this album gives voice to the experiences of those who left and those who were left behind, telling the story of an important but little-known period in Hebridean history, the devastating impact of which is still felt in the islands today.”

Originally conceived as a live show, Atlantic Odyssey began life as a Creative Scotland-supported tour of the Highlands and Islands in 2023. Since then, the Metagama Ensemble project has grown exponentially. Interest in the project and the stories around the mass emigration, has been widespread, with capacity audiences throughout the tour, followed by a sell-out show at Celtic Connections in 2024.

Countless requests for a recording of the concert prompted the Ensemble to release an album. It was recorded in Black Bay Studio on Great Bernera and in The Wee Studio on the Isle of Lewis, while also including several live tracks from Celtic Connections and Eden Court Theatre.

Across thirty-six tracks, a mixture of traditional Gaelic songs, brand-new songs performed by the ensemble in English, original instrumental pieces and spoken-word segments, the album features writer and poet, Donald S Murray; pianist/singer-songwriter, Liza Mulholland; Gaelic actor and 7:84 Theatre Company co-founding performer, Dolina MacLennan; Gaelic singer and piper, Calum Alex Macmillan; fiddler, Charlie Mackerron; singer-songwriter, Willie Campbell; and cellist Christine Hanson.

Poignantly commemorating the lives of the Hebridean migrants and of those left behind, Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey is a gripping collection of beautifully-performed music and compelling storytelling.

Released: 19th July 2025

https://metagamaensemble.bandcamp.com/album/metagama-an-atlantic-odyssey