Tag Archives: latest folk reviews

Latest folk reviews: Honey & The Bear, Holly & The Reivers, Gavin Marwick, Tom Houston and Colin MacDuff

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Honey & The Bear – Away Beyond The Fret

Away Beyond The Fret is the third album from husband-and-wife folk duo, Lucy and Jon Hart, and the follow-up to the highly-enjoyable Journey Through The Roke, which I reviewed back in 2021.

Lucy Hart: “Many of the songs on this album focus on our Suffolk home and the close bonds of family, friendship and community.”

Fresh-sounding, slightly genre-hopping and once again deeply rooted in the history, culture and landscape of their Suffolk homeland, Away Beyond The Fret is delivered with the duo’s characteristic elegance and beauty. The highly-talented duo of Lucy and Jon Hart continue to delight and this, their third album, is proof that Honey & The Bear have blossomed into something truly magnificent on the UK folk scene.

Released: 3 November 2023 https://honeyandthebear.co.uk/

Holly & The Reivers – Three Galleys

Three Galleys is the debut album from Holly & The Reivers, a project formed back in 2017 that brings together Holly Clarke (vocals/guitar), Merle Harbron (vocals/fiddle) and Bertie Armstrong (vocals/banjo).

Holly & The Reivers: “Three Galleys reaches into the depths of the darker side of folk song and brings forth the messages in the songs that are deeply rooted in human experience through history. Each track has been meticulously arranged to help interlace the story with a musical setting that enthrals listeners to submit and be swept away in a journey of rich storytelling.”

This is an older live video but still carries their instantly-recognisable  signature sound based around the trio’s banjo, fiddle and guitar and their contrasting but complimentary vocals. Beautifully atmospheric soundscapes combine with stunning interpretations of traditional ballads that tend dwell on the darker side of human existence, borne of an enduring fascination of folk horror cinema. In Three Galleys, Holly & The Reivers have served up a highly impressive debut album.

Released: 15 November 2023 https://hollyclarkemusic.com/

Gavin Marwick – Quarterdays: Martinmas

Martinmas is the fourth and final release in Gavin Marwick’s Quarterdays series, and this one sees the Scottish fiddle-player and composer team up with pianist and accordion-player, Phil Alexander. The two have played together both socially and professionally over a number of years.

Gavin Marwick: “Martinmas celebrates the life of St Martin of Tours, the only actual historical figure to appear in the Quarterdays canon. Born in what is now part of Hungary, serving in the Roman army and ending up as Bishop of Tours and ultimately one of the patron saints of France, Martin offers a very broad European vision of the spread of the early church across the continent during this long ago fourth century period.”

Marking the final season of the year and celebrating the life of St Martin of Tours, whose feast day is marked on November 11th, the six tune-sets, all composed by Marwick, distil Scottish, Eastern European and French traditional influences alongside more contemporary ideas. Once again, Marwick hits us with more wonderfully expressive fiddle and he and Alexander deliver some nicely evocative tunes that perfectly capture the time of year. Quarterdays has been a fascinating project and Martinmas is a worthy finale to the series.

Released: 11 November 2023 https://www.gavinmarwick.co.uk/

Tom Houston – Everything In The Delicatessen

Playing in bands such as Paper Tiger, Unspeakable Acts, Delicious Houdini, Bamboozle, Tom Houston and the Keltic Band and davesnewbike as well as working as musical director in theatre, Tom Houston has also had a prolific solo career and Everything In The Delicatessen is his sixth solo album. His current work encompasses spoken word, soundscapes, stories and songs.

“Everything In The Delicatessen attempts to give the listener that ‘up close and personal’ experience with ‘local produce’ of high quality,” promises the accompanying press publicity.

An album that transcends musical boundaries and is brimming with drama and musicality, great lyrics and great melodies, Everything In The Delicatessen is the kind of album you’ll come back to again and again and always find something new.

Released: 13 October 2023 https://www.tomhouston.org/

Colin MacDuff – Separations

Aberdeen-based musician and songwriter, Colin MacDuff, says he “dabbled” in music and poetry when family and career commitments allowed time but things got more serious upon his retirement when he enrolled on Boo Hewerdine’s and Findlay Napier’s mentorship scheme for aspiring songwriters. With their encouragement he soon found he had more than a dozen original songs and his debut album, The Past In The Sky, was released in 2022 to positive reviews. Separations is the follow-up.

Colin MacDuff: “During the past year I wrote a lot of new songs and got thinking about whether some might fit together in an album. At first, I thought they were very disparate. But, aided by a glass or two, I had the revelation that they were all songs about different aspects of separation.”

The theme of separation in the songs extends across a range of subjects, from relationship break-ups, to bereavement to economic displacement. The main accompaniment is MacDuff’s own acoustic guitar-playing but he’s joined by Angus Lyon (accordion),  Jenna Reid (fiddle) and Hugh Halton percussion, with pianist Maria Quinn also providing some beautifully eloquent piano on three tracks. With his gentle vocal and engaging storytelling, Separations acts as an excellent showcase for Colin MacDuff’s fine songwriting.  

Released: 8 December 2023 https://www.colinmacduff.com/

Latest folk reviews: Jack Rutter, Keiran Knowles & Megson, Ward Knútur Townes, Ninebarrow and Calum Stuart

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

Jack Rutter – This Is Something Constant

I first came across Jack Rutter when three precociously-talented but slightly nervous teenagers took the stage at Fairport’s Cropredy festival back in 2011 as that year’s BBC Young Folk Awards winners as the trio Moore Moss Rutter. Since that time, Rutter has made a major mark on the UK folk scene. As well as periodic albums with Moore Moss Rutter, there have been collaborations with the likes of Sam Sweeney, Seth Lakeman and Molly Evans, plus his own solo career.

Jack Rutter: “Folk songs and music captivate me and make me happy. This album is a love letter to the music and the whole folk scene that has been a constant in my life and so many other lives down the generations and I hope it stirs something back into the big folk melting pot.”

The third in a trilogy exploring British folk songs and featuring nine songs in the trad. arr. cannon, this latest offering is yet further evidence of Jack Rutter’s growing stature as a performer. Now un-disputably, one of the finest singers and interpreters of traditional material on the UK folk scene today, This Is Something Constant is a truly excellent album from Jack Rutter.

Released: 27 October 2023 https://jackruttermusic.com/home

Kieran Knowles & Megson – The Herald

Hot on the heels of What Are We Trying To Say, released back in March of this year, husband-and-wife duo, Stu and Debbie Hann, have another new album out, this time in collaboration with playwright, Kieran Knowles. Described as a “play with songs” The Herald began life as a short UK tour telling the story of a small-town local journalist, with Knowles providing the spoken-word parts and Megson delivering the songs. Following the success of the tour, the three teamed up once more to produce an audio recording of the show.

Megson: “It has been a fascinating process to take part in and observe the many parallels between scriptwriting and songwriting. The outcome of the project is something we are immensely proud of.”

Linking the songs, Knowles delivers a well-written and convincing narrative that serves as a worthy tribute to the finest traditions of local journalism: holding those in power to account, giving a voice to the local community and standing up against injustice. And what superb songs and superb storytelling we have from Megson here, some of which will surely develop a life of their own outside the format of this particular project.

Released: 20 October 2023  https://www.megsonmusic.co.uk/

Ward Knútur Townes – Unanswered

Picking up best newcomer award at the BBC Folk Awards back in 2012, Lucy Ward went on to have an impactful career on the UK folk scene but things have been rather quieter in recent years as her attention has turned to her family. Unanswered is actually her first new album to be released in five years and she’s teamed up with fellow singer-songwriters, Svavar Knútur from Iceland and Adyn Townes from Canada.

Lucy Ward: “It’s the true story of an old telephone, clearly disconnected for many years, that still sometimes rings… though no-one ever dares to answer to the ghostly caller.”

A multi-national collaboration borne out of lockdown and two years of Zoom exchanges and finally recorded at a remote location on Iceland’s northern coast, the album brings together three performers with their own unique styles to create an innovative slice of contemporary indie-folk. Stark and melancholy as befits the subject matter, there’s an intimacy and a tenderness to the songs on this album, the three contrasting voices melding with some incredible musicianship to produce something memorable and highly creative.

Released: 6 October 2023 https://wardknuturtownes.com/

Ninebarrow – The Colour of Night

Notching up ten years and five albums together, The Colour Of The Night is the latest from Ninebarrow, the duo of Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere. It follows the excellent A Pocket Full Of Acorns, released in March 2021 just as the UK was heading into lockdown.

Jon Whitley: “The world has certainly felt a bit topsy-turvy since our last album but we are lucky to have received wonderful support that kept our spirits high – some of the songs here reflect that sentiment.”

The Colour of Night comprises five original songs and one instrumental piece, alongside several covers, an adaption of a Victorian poem and one traditional song. The duo’s signature vocal harmonies are set against the lush instrumentation of cellist, Lee MacKenzie, double-bassist, John Parker and percussionist, Evan Carson, alongside the duo themselves on piano, mandola and reed organ.  A beautifully-uplifting album, Ninebarrow once again deliver their trademark folk magic.

Released: 1 September 2023 https://www.ninebarrow.co.uk/

Calum Stewart – True North

An award-winning Uilleann Piper, flautist and composer, Calum Stewart has chalked up an impressive musical cv working with the likes The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Julie Fowlis and Nitin Sawhney, in addition to pursuing his solo career. His most recent albums; True North (2023) and Tales from the North (2017) bring together traditional melodies and lyrical compositions, inspired by the landscape and heritage of the north of Scotland.

Calum Stuart: “Through this collection of music, I aim to pay tribute to the traditional tunes that have stood the test of time, while also expressing my personal connection with the north of Scotland through self-penned tracks. The songs reflect the memories, experiences, and encounters I’ve had in this captivating region.”

Featuring five traditional tunes and five new compositions from Calum Stuart, there’s a vibrancy and a freshness about True North which makes for an exhilarating celebration of Scottish traditional music and the timeless beauty of the Uilleann pipes.

Released: 1 September 2023 https://www.calum-stewart.com/

Latest folk reviews: Dàimh, Ian Bruce, Sarah Deere-Jones, Gareth Williams and Blazin’ Fiddles

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

Dàimh – Sula

The self-styled ‘Gaelic Supergroup’, who have now been around some twenty-five years, are back with another new album. Sula was recorded on the Hebridean island of Bernera and captures the band in fine form performing a mix of traditional Gaelic songs and new band compositions.

Dàimh: “SULA is the old Norse name for the Gannet, the largest seabird in Northern Europe. As graceful soaring above the waves as they are swimming far beneath them, Gannets find strength by gathering together in close knit communities on isolated windswept outposts and perfectly embody Dàimh’s enduring connection to the Hebrides and their surrounding waters.”

Evocative bagpipe-led instrumentals, exhilarating fiddle-playing and the captivating Gaelic-language vocals of Ellen MacDonald, this is another album that wonderfully captures the beauty, vibrancy and resilience of the Gaelic music scene.

Released: 2 June 2023 https://www.daimh.net/

Ian Bruce – Together Forever

Described in the press publicity as being “the Dad’s Army of the current folk scene” the double disc album of veteran folkie, Ian Bruce, features a host of musical guests: Barbara Dickson, Bob Fox, Jez Lowe, Allan Taylor, Mike Silver and Alastair McDonald to name but a few.

Three years in the making, this ambitious project encompasses thirty-three tracks and over one hundred collaborators and initially came about as a crowd-funded lockdown project when the Covid pandemic denied Bruce his regular income as a working, gigging musician.

Ian Bruce: “Together Forever delves into personal preferences, influences and loves of the music I grew up with.”

Although there’s an acoustic folk sensibility at its heart, this is an album that spans many influences. The selections range from traditional Scottish ballads, to songs written by stalwarts of the folk revival, like the late Rab Noakes, to an impeccably tartaned-up version of Peter Sarstedt’s ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’. The comforting familiarity of many of these songs will put a smile a smile on your face and give you a warm glow inside.

Released: 3 July 2023 https://www.ianbrucemusic.com/

Sarah Deere-Jones – A Little Piece of Eden

Classically-trained, professional harpist, Sarah Deere-Jones, performed for many years with symphony, opera and ballet orchestras but, latterly, she has turned her attention to performing her own arrangements of traditional songs and creating original music.

A keen environmental campaigner, Deere-Jones was inspired to put her love of nature and concern for the future well-being of the natural world at the heart of A Little Piece of Eden.

Sarah Deere-Jones: “This album particularly reflects my personal feelings on the changes in rural life, from my childhood in north Dorset, to where I live today in rural Cornwall – the crash of biodiversity, the diaspora of small communities and the damage of intensive farming, these are all changes that I have witnessed with my own eyes – but in recent years the growing rewilding movement gives us hope that these problems can be solved.”

Featuring four original songs alongside eleven traditional songs and tunes and with accompaniment from guitar, gazuki and melodeon player, Phil Williams, A Little Piece of Eden is an inspiring showcase for both Sarah Deere-Jones exquisite harp-playing and her bright-burning passion for a more sustainable future.

Released: 10 July 2023 http://www.sarahdeere-jones.co.uk/

Gareth Williams – Songs From The Last Page

Gareth Williams is an Irish-born composer and singer-songwriter based in Scotland. As a musician he has always sought to work across musical boundaries, from musical theatre to pop, from chamber music to opera. 

In using literature as its inspirational starting point, Williams’ latest project is not unusual for a folk-based album. What does appear to be a unique approach, however, is in merely using the final line of each story as the starting point for a song.

Gareth Williams: “These songs all have one thing in common – they begin on the final page of a book. And, all the books I chose for this collection also have something in common – when I read them, I didn’t want them to end. So I took what I found in the final lines, with no words added and none taken out, and built verses, choruses, bridges, and refrains. Stories never stay on the page anyway – these ones just became songs.”

In the hands of someone less talented this could have fallen flat and risk taking us into the realms of gimmickry. But in Songs From The Last Page, Gareth Williams pulls off something that is both thought-provoking and musically interesting. Some of the books referenced I knew (Sherlock Holmes and Treasure Island – for example). Others I was completely unfamiliar with. Nevertheless, Williams’ skills as a songwriter and musician were enough to draw me in, his somewhat sombre piano providing the main musical backdrop to each of these literary flights of fancy.

Released: 11 August 2023 https://www.garethwilliamsmusic.com/

Blazin’ Fiddles – XXV

Always entertaining on stage, Blazin’ Fiddles (a project that initially started out as one-off collaboration for a short five-day tour) mark their twenty-fifth century anniversary with a new release.

Recorded as-live in the studio with the aim of capturing the spontaneity of a concert performance, the album features a line-up of Bruce MacGregor, Rua Macmillan, Jenna Reid and Kristan Harvey on their respective fiddles who are joined by Anna Massie on guitar and fiddle and Angus Lyon on piano.

Blazin’ Fiddles: “Our purpose as a band has been to promote the fiddle styles of the highlands and islands and you will find the melodies of these traditions are to the fore. We’re also a band that loves to travel and absorb cultures, so we have melodies from our trips and adventures as well as a number of new compositions by band members.”

XXV is an invigorating music celebration from a band who have more than earned their place as a fixture of the Scottish traditional music scene this past quarter of a century. Highly enjoyable.

Released: 21 August 2023 https://www.blazinfiddles.com/

Latest folk reviews: Gnoss, Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy, Gavin Marwick & Wendy Stewart, Jo Miller and Dallahan

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

Gnoss – Stretching Skyward

“Vibrant, inventive and joyful” is how I summed up The Light Of The Moon, the second album from Gnoss, when it was released back in 2021. Now they are back with a follow-up, Stretching Skyward. Always vibrant and joyful, the inventiveness, too, certainly continues on this, their third album. Containing all original material, save for a cover of Gillian Welch’s ‘Hard Times’, the album fizzes with virtuoso musicianship, enticing melodies and rich sound textures. And in ‘Hamnavoe’ the second track on the album that celebrates Orkney’s Viking heritage and mythology (written, like the other original songs on the album, by vocalist Aidan Moodie), they have turned out a genuine, bona fide folk anthem.

Aidan Moodie: “Each track is centred around a story that has change at its heart. Those stories gave us pause to look at the change that’s taken place in our own lives over the past few years. We wanted to reflect this idea within the sounds we used to construct the album.”

Once more with the established line-up of Aidan Moodie, Graham Rorie, Connor Sinclair and Craig Baxter, this album again features Braebach’s James Lindsey on electric and double bass. In keeping with the theme of change though, the band embrace less traditional sounds, too, including synths, electronic samples and state-of-the-art production techniques.

A stunning album from a band demonstrating they are still very much at the top of their game and passionate about their rightful place at the cutting edge of Scottish folk.

Released: 12 May 2023 https://gnossmusic.com/

Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy – Élan

Both highly sought-after musicians on the Scottish traditional scene, harpist, Rachel Hair, and guitarist, Ron Jappy, first came together to record as a duo back in 2019 with the album Sparks. Élan is the pair’s long-awaited follow-up comprising Hair’s original compositions alongside a number of traditional tunes and a handful by other contemporary writers.

Rachel Hair: “Élan is more closely related to who we are as musicians and people, than my previous releases. There are nods to my Highland background, with tunes from the Captain Simon Fraser collection, tunes I’ve written to do with Ullapool and Lochbroom, as well as pipe tunes. There are also sets of Irish tunes as a nod to the Glasgow-Irish music scene, and from the Isle of Man where my husband is  from.”

A delightful album, the distinctive combination of acoustic guitar and harp brings a fresh perspective to traditional Celtic music and the duo’s treatment of tunes, both new and old, is invigorating and rather moreish. An album I’ll definitely want to return to.

Released: 19 May 2023 https://www.rachelhair.com/about/duo/

Gavin Marwick & Wendy Stewart – Quarterdays: Whitsun

Whitsun is the second release in a series of EPs released by fiddle-player, Gavin Marwick, under the banner of the Quarterdays series of EPs being released across 2023. On this release, featuring new contemporary tunes composed by Marwick in a traditional style, he is joined by the renowned Galloway harpist, Wendy Stewart, with whom he also works in the alternative/folk string quintet, the Galloway Agreement.

Gavin Marwick & Wendy Stewart: “This second EP is a voyage of discovery into the lore and history of Whitsun. It’s a celebration of May and the beginning of the summer – the beasts are now all out in the fields, the primroses are still blooming – and in religious/spiritual terms it is mixed in with Pentecost and Beltane, holy wells and weddings. There are balmy warm days yet still the chance of bitter cold.”

While I’m late coming to this, the beautiful melodies and gentle interplay between Gavin Marwick’s fiddle and Wendy Stewart’s harp perfectly capture the atmosphere of a warm late-spring and come next May I’ll definitely be celebrating my favourite time of the year with a few spins of the Quarterdays: Whitsun EP.

Released: 15 May 2023 https://www.gavinmarwick.co.uk/

Jo Miller – A’ The Way To Galloway

An album of traditional songs and tunes from the Galloway area of south-west Scotland, singer and fiddler, Jo Miller, is joined by several musicians with close connections to the area. Miller is well-known for her work in community-based traditional music, formal education, and academic research. This recording draws on her research in the uplands of the Glenkens where she grew up, interviewing local residents and investigating historical sources.

Jo Miller: “I’m delighted to be sharing these songs and tunes which all have a personal association for me. You will also hear the spoken word, birdsong and singing for dancing – an aural landscape which not only evokes the former life of the Glenkens and its people, but also points toward its lively music culture in the present.”

Both poignant and entertaining, not to mention being a wonderful piece of living social history (with the performances on the album seeking to recreate the intimate atmosphere of performances at rural schools, individual homes and small schoolhouses where these songs were traditionally performed), A’ The Wat To Galloway is a wonderful celebration of the music and cultural life of this particular corner of Scotland.

Released: 4 June 2023 https://www.jomiller.scot/

Dallahan – Speak of the Devil

With a blend of traditional Scottish and Irish folk, fused from a melting pot of gypsy melodies, bluegrass, Spanish, and Balkan influences (and much more besides!) Dallahan are Jack Badcock (guitar), Ciaran Ryan (banjo and mandolin), Andrew Waite (accordion and Benedict Morris (fiddle). Formed a decade ago, Speak of the Devil is the band’s fourth album.

Jack Badcock: “We believe it’s the band’s most accomplished and assured album to date. It’s been a while in the melting pot because each member of the band was incredibly busy with commitments as Covid eased off and the music world opened up again – not least Ciaran who was still working at a job he picked up during the pandemic as a fine dining chef!”

Featuring ten tracks of original material (four songs and six tunes) Speak of the Devil showcases a band that exudes confidence and creativity and is never afraid to be that bit different. The plethora of different influences and traditions that the band pull into their music, from the nifty banjo-playing to the jazz-like licks to the Spanish and Latin-American themes in the song lyrics, means that this album will appeal far beyond the confines of traditional folk, with much to enjoy here for devotees of bluegrass, world music and more.

Released: 16 June 2023 https://www.dallahanmusic.com/