Sangre de Muerdago „Noite“
Star Kult Promotion, 2018
The lead singer of this band, Pablo C Urusson, hails from Galicia in Spain but is based in the German city of Leipzig. „noite“ is the beautiful new album of his band, following highly acclaimed previous releases. The focus of the album is on songs in Spanish/Galician language, presented in a very warm and relaxed way by the Galician singer. The music is a wonderful back drop to the songs, featuring nyckelharpa, viola, guitars, harp and other instruments. Most of the material was written and composed by Pablo, but is inspired by Galician traditions and has an authentic folk feel. The music might have at times a melancholic flair but I still find the spirit of the album uplifting. Recommended.
J-C Guichen „Breizh an Ankou - La Bretagne de Lankou“
This album is an impressive microcosm of the wide range of Breton music, all created by Jean-Charles Guichen, musical director of this album, composer of most tracks and versatile guitarist. The album features a stellar set of guest musicians too- Claire Mocquardon violin and voice, Olivier Carole on bass, Mickael Bourdois on drums, Sylvain Barou on flute and uilleann piper, as well as illustrious guest on one track each, singer Denez and Dan at Braz on electric guitar. Not to forget a full Bagad pipe band on four tracks.
The music provides an exciting contemporary folk rock sound full of variation and drama, yet is based on traditional bal folk themes of the likes of gavotte, gwerz and plinn. Ange Hardy „Bring back home“
This new album sees Ange Hardy reaching again new heights. Now well established in the folk scene, Ange showcases on „Bring back home“ her ingenuity as a songwriter and folk singer. Nearly all songs are original, with beautiful lyrics. Most songs have a strong personal meaning to Ange - about low earning families coined by Theresa May as JAM „just about managing“; songs about tenacity and perseverance, of living in the moment. There’s a “go and see your granny” call to action song, “Once I was a rose” about a lady in a care home visited less and less by her family. “A girl like her” is a particularly poignant song about Asperger’s and ADHD, inspired by her daughter, and how she was misunderstood by teachers and by Ange herself, taking the lesson that labels like ADHD or Asperger do not help and that we should just accept, learn from and appreciate the joy and uniqueness of any child. Curly Strings „Hoolima“
It comes perhaps as a surprise for a band with the name „Curly Strings“ that the band comes from Estonia and their music has exclusively Estonian lyrics. Their music is based on Estonian traditions but is attractively blended with American bluegrassy string band influences and perhaps a dose of Jazz. The band features four excellent musicians on guitar, double bass, fiddle and mandolin. For me as somebody not very familiar with Estonian music some of the music has a distinct Scandinavian or Finnish feel; other tracks are full of sunshine with that certain feel good factor. The singing, mostly female, is beautiful and relaxed. Apparently folk music is a big hit in Estonia and this band has a large following also of young people which is great for a band with such a trad sound.
This is an album that grows on me with every listening, and I am looking forward to see the band at the Rudolstadt Festival this summer.
Solju „Odda Aigodat”
The Sami are a nomadic folk living in the most Northern tips of Finland, Norway and Sweden, with their own distinct culture, language and music.
Solju, a mother and daughter duo of Ulla Pirtijärvi and Hilda Länsman, bring these traditions into the 21st century without losing the archaic and mythological feel of the Sami traditions. The modern element is particularly brought to the album by synths, programming and percussion, and on one track electric guitar. The album features plenty of the trademark Sami style of mouth music, the yoik, as well as lyrics in the Sami language composed by the duo. Some of the songs sound more shamanic, including throat singing, with some of the more intense tracks being fully focussed on the yoik. My favourite track of this fascinating album is the first one, featuring a dramatic string arrangement played by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Mielotxin „Alan Lomax in memorian“
Mielotxin, as the band’s name’s “tx” sound may suggest, come from the Basque Country, and this is already the fourth album under their belt. The tracks on this album are new recordings of songs and tunes based on old records of field recordings by the renowned song collector Alan Lomax who came to the Basque Country in 1952. A mix of songs and tunes, the album features a typical Basque sound, with instruments including accordion, flutes including a shrill sounding txistu and txirula, guitars, double bass and percussion, plus guests on txalaparta and txistu. Whilst the music interpretations are mostly appealing I find some of the traditional singing less accessible. For me, it is though - as often in Basque music - the accordion sounds that hold the music together.
Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita „Soar“
A Welsh harpist meets a Senegalese kora player, and their music just naturally blends and merges, to create a beautiful new soundscape drawing on traditions from both places. Focussed on instrumental tracks, the album showcases the beauty that happens in those rare moments when kora and Welsh harp come together. Played by two brilliant musicians, this is entrancing world music which feels local and equally at home in either of the musicians‘ home countries.
Greg Russell & Ciaran Algar „Utopia and Wasteland“
This amazing young duo has swiftly established itself as one of the leading English folk acts, blowing a fresh wind into the folk scene. And pretty prolific they are too, with this being their fourth duo album since 2012, alongside a solo album each and busy band projects including Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, the Transports and the Shake the Chains project. Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman „Personae“
Another leading duo of contemporary English folk music, Kathryn Roberts is a wonderful singer, and together with Sean Lakeman they are great composers and songwriters too. The music and song sounds fresh and is arranged in a contemporary style bridging traditional, folk and perhaps a dose of jazz, sometimes even turning into beautiful folk pop ballads; however the themes of the songs are mostly based on traditional themes. I found the lyrics of „Old old old“ particularly charming - a tribute to a turtle supposedly the oldest living land animal. This is a great album which should be in any good collection of contemporary English folk.
Dubhlinn "Live"
Fire, passion, and raw talent: that's what Dubhlinn bring to the party. And party it is, mostly recorded live in the famous McDermott's Bar in Doolin, West Clare. There's a lively crowd in, and some of them spill over to the trio's microphones, but that's really not a problem because this band is not precious about clean recordings or flawless performances: it's all about the energy of the moment. If the phrase "rough diamonds" didn't already exist, you'd need to invent it to describe piper Blackie O'Connell, fiddler Eoghan Neff, and bouzouki bandit Cyril O'Donoghue. The opening sets of reels and slip-jigs cut through the background noise with ease, at the blistering tempo for which Blackie is justly reputed, with half a dozen great tunes showing the richness of minor melodies and old modes in Irish music. Dubhlinn polish up well too, as you'd expect, and the studio track Miss Hamilton is a stately gem indeed, written by Ulster harper Cornelius Lyons in 1706 and powerfully played on pipes and fiddle with ringing harmonies. Reels and jigs follow, again those minor cadences in great old tunes such as Lafferty's and The Mist Covered Mountain, and the tempo is a notch or two up from even Ennis session speed.
The Curious Bards "[Ex]Tradition"
In what appears to be a new initiative for this French label noted for its world music albums, [Ex]Tradition presents material from the Scottish and Irish traditions which was published in the 18th century but in many cases is much older. Airs, dance music and three songs are performed by a trio of French classically-trained and traditionally-minded musicians, with helpful friends on harp, woodwind and vocals. Alix Boisvert's fiddle, Jean-Christophe Morel's cittern, and Sarah Van Oudenhove's cello-like viola da gamba provide the core sound for some well known pieces but also several lesser known melodies: The Fyket, Port Patrick, Raddire en Ougnish, Mr Jo Reid's Reel and Miss Loraine of Kirkharles for example.
The Fretless "Live from the Art Farm"
This "exploration of traditional Irish tunes recorded using only three microphones, in front of a live audience" starts with a modern Scottish reel, MacLeod's Farewell by Donald Shaw - but hey, nobody's perfect, and when the music is this good I'm inclined to forgive a lot! This Canadian quartet wields three fiddles and a cello, and every one of them is deadly. Their choice is eclectic - a Johnny O'Leary jig, a Donegal reel, challenges such as The Pipe on the Hob and The Templehouse, chestnuts including The Sally Gardens and The Star of Munster. Most tracks turn into virtuoso improvisations or complex arrangementrs, showing enormous skill and imagination. The Fretless can do straight trad too: Jenny's Welcome to Charlie and Bear Island is a powerful fiddle set, with Finbarr Dwyer's reel kicking in like a good 'un. Fiddlers Trent Freeman, Karrnnell Sawitsky and Ben Plotnick may not have very Irish-sounding names, but their compositions (one each) fit the tradition well enough. No new tunes from cellist Eric Wright here, although his chopping and chording is crucial to the group's sound and he grabs the melody firmly from time to time. Between the jigs and the reels, quite literally, there are two slower pieces: the jazzy Holton Alan Moore's by Ben, and the dramatic Dawning of the Day which is beautifully played, a clear highlight. Fun, funky, full-on: The Fretless certainly put on a show.
Fru Skagerrak "Ankerdram"
A Norwegian, a Swede and a Dane walk into a studio, wearing rubber boots and long woollen undergarments. This is not a joke. Fru Skagerrak combines the talents of Denmark's Maja Kjaer Jacobsen, Norway's Elise Wessel Hildrum, and Sweden's Anna Lindblad: fiddlers all, with many other musical talents. Ankerdram is their second album, after an exceptional debut in 2016, and includes traditional pieces from all three of their home countries, as well as several of their own compositions. Fiddle music is definitely the main strength of this group, drawing on rich archives of over two centuries, but there are also four songs here, and a few tracks featuring Elise's recorder.
Dan MacDonald "Rural/Urban"
On his long and lively debut CD, this Cape Breton fiddler has brought out both aspects of the Canadian tradition: the sophisticated urban style of bands such as Nua, Leahy, or Slainte Mhaith, and the rural style of the many fiddlers who still play for square dances in the local hall. Often the musicians are the same, but the styles are different - and I think the urban style takes more from the Irish tradition, while rural audiences still expect to hear the old Scots strathspeys and reels. Dan MacDonald is a master of both, powering through the big Scottish tunes like Bog an Lochan and Sleepy Maggie, Dan R MacDonald's wonderful River Bend and the older but equally impressive Miss Lyall, before turning his attention to tunes by Ed Reavy or Tommy Peoples, airs like Bruach na Carraige Báine, and great Irish classics such as Dr Gilbert's Reel and The Old Grey Goose.
Blackbeard's Tea Party "Leviathan!"
An EP from this English dance band goes some way to fill the gap since their 2015 album Reprobates,[58]
and perhaps also gives them a chance to focus on the rock'n'roll aspect of their music and win a new audience. Certainly the folk world had no need of another recording of The Bonny Ship The Diamond, covered by at least half a dozen groups recently, although this version does push the envelope with echoes of Bedlam Boys and a bass-heavy backing. That bass line stays strong through DLFN with its funky fiddle melody, and the guitar-led gothic horror title track. Blackbeard's Tea Party maintain their buccaneering image with plenty of salt tang to The Lost Triangle - surely a good news story - and the final Weary Whaling Ground which includes more fine fiddling from Laura Boston-Barber before the Sabbathesque vocals of this gory dirge. Two drum kits means there's absolutely no need for a banjo, so all that's missing really are the ghostly chimes of a ship's bell - lost with the triangle perhaps.
Djal "Quarterlife"
A live album from a group which has built a great reputation in eastern France and beyond, Quarterlife is dance music in both traditional and modern forms. Djal combine the melodies and rhythms of central France with elements of North African music and the virtuoso improvisations of jazz. With Stéphane Milleret on diatonic accordions, Christophe Sacchettini on recorders and pipes, Jérémie Mignotte on flute, and Jean Banwarth on bouzouki, Djal has united some of the biggest names on the French folk scene. Starting with the title track from their last album Ex Nihilo, played for a Circassian Circle, gurdy genius Sébastien Tron and bassist Claude Schirrer soon make their presence felt too, in a driving, thumping, swirling wall of electro-acoustic sound which switches smoothly between pastoral bourées and Persian bazaars.
Hawktail "Unless"
A handful of oldtime, a spoonful of jazz, a pinch of ragtime and a few other ingredients go into this flavoursome feast of fiddle and string band music from an instrumental quartet with impressive credentials. Fiddler Brittany Haas, bassist Paul Kowert, and guitarist Jordan Tice formed a rather less imaginatively named trio a few years ago, and made more experimental music than on this CD: since then, they've settled down a bit, added mandolinist Dominick Leslie and rearranged the letters of their names to come up with Hawktail. El Camino Part 2 follows on from a track on the trio's album, but otherwise Unless probably stands apart from all these players' previous recordings.
Davis, Dellow, Gillett "Mischief Afoot"
This English label doesn't release many instrumental albums, so when it does I'm inclined to look closely. The danger is that it lags behind more music-focused communities, and that does seem to have happened here, but there's enough fine playing to make Mischief Afoot worth a listen for those who know their Celtic dance music, and the addition of songs and tunes from the English tradition will be a bonus for some. Fiddler Becky Dellow makes a lovely job of Alasdair Fraser's Bennachie Sunrise from his early album The Road North, and her duet with recorder player John Davis on Morgan Rattler is very pleasant. The pair also complement each other on The Star of Munster and The Pigeon on the Gate, Irish session chestnuts. Andy Cutting's The History Man floats ethereally along, with plenty of space for invention in Jeff Gillett's guitar accompaniment. The super-slow versions of Tell Her I Am and Out on the Ocean don't excite me, and here as on a few other tracks the fiddle and recorder can't quite keep in step. Paddy Fahy's and Mulhaire's #9 are back on track, two splendid twentieth-century Irish fiddle reels slowed down slightly to give them a bit of swing. Knock on Wood opens perhaps my favourite track on this CD, three new tunes, two by Davis and Dellow. Davis aso makes a fine job of Brendan Ring's twisting tune Cats of Camazen, but is sadly out of his depth on Gordon Duncan's Pressed for Time at normal speed.
Elmøe & Hoffmann "Vandkanten"
Violinist Emma Kragh-Elmøe and guitarist Villads Hoffmann started in classical and heavy metal music respectively, and converged on Scandinavian folk. Well you would, wouldn't you? Especially in Denmark, with its eclectic music scene. Winning a major Danish folk award in 2015, they have developed a repertoire of music in the Scandinavian style, and this debut CD presents a decimal dozen new compositions which have all the hallmarks of modern Nordic fiddle music: strong yet often simple melodies, complex variations and arrangements, great technical ability, and a mournful bittersweet edge to many of the pieces. With one tune per track there is time to appreciate the intricacies of each creation.
Enkel "We Are Enkel"
A rather remarkable album from Finland, this is the second CD by four young ladies with a broad range of musical skills and tastes. Leija Lautamaja may be familiar from the wonderful Floating Sofa Quartet: she plays melodeon here, as does Mila Palomäki. Maija Pokela plays the Finnish kantele, a fascinating instrument a bit like a dulcimer, but the difficult question is which dulcimer! Iida Savolainen adds viola, and all four provide vocals of various kinds. About half of the music and song here is traditional, and the other half is mainly written by Enkel in traditional style - but taking outrageous liberties whenever possible.
Josephine Marsh "Music in the Frame"
It's a long time since I last reviewed an album by Josephine Marsh, mainly because she so rarely makes them - but my goodness they're worth the wait. This Clare accordionist has such a delicate touch and an easy sense of the music - the tunes just seem to drip out of her with no effort at all. I'm sure the reality is different, but Josephine gives the impression that she could play all day and every note would be equally sweet and fresh. Here she turns her hands to reels and jigs, hornpipes and waltzes, a set dance, a planxty and more. There's a double handful of this lady's own compositions alongside the same number of old Clare tunes, plus a few by recent composers such as Joe Liddy, Liz Carroll, Eamon Flynn and Bjarne Gregers Schmidt.
Nava "Tapestry"
Combining Irish and Arab music, an idea which has been tried a few times before and produced some great recordings, this group takes a slightly different approach which results in a very interesting and attractive CD. The juxtaposition of banjo and santoor (a sort of Persian hammered/plucked dulcimer) is a new sound, not even heard commonly in Irish or American styles where the banjo and dulcimer co-exist. On Tapestry it is a subtle, surprisingly gentle sound, even on rhythmic dance music like the opening jig The Rolling Wave or the bluegrass-inspired Magic Box. Paddy Kiernan plays 5-string banjos, electric and acoustic, straddling Irish and American traditions. Shahab Coohe's santoor leads on his own composition Hess and also on the traditional dance Chahar Pare. The banjo-like tar played by Shayan Coohe has a sound somewhere between Irish and Indian music, giving Nava both a more oriental character and a broader spectrum to play with: it features prominently on Chahar Pare and also on the modal jig Banish Misfortune. Shayan also plays Persian percussion, and along with Niall Hughes provides a solid but sensitive backing on drums, guitars and bass. Compositions by Paddy and Shahab supplement traditional tunes, spanning old and new styles with dance rhythms and more descriptive pieces. While the absence of woodwind or free reeds gives Nava's music a rather old-fashioned feel, the staccato notes and the sepulchral resonances of these instruments are strangely hypnotic and soothing, a unique and very pleasant experience.
Lúnasa "Cas"
Lúnasa sings! Well not exactly - Lúnasa's guests sing, five of them to be precise: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Natalie Merchant, Tim O'Brien, Daoirí Farrell and Eric Bibb. The lads are keeping their vow of silence, twenty-two years and counting, but as a compromise they've applied the "one singer one song" rule on this album. Five singers is a bit heavy for a session in my view, although I suppose once every twenty years or so I can let it slide, as long as they don't make a habit of it. There are plenty of instrumentals on Cas too, of course - a great opening set of reels, a trio of Vallely jigs, one of those twisting Breton sets with rhythm and tempo changes, a charming slow reel The Dregs of Birch by Duhks fiddler Tania Elizabeth, and three more big sets of Scottish and Irish tunes. The song arrangements also benefit from some lovely Lúnasa touches, backing harmonies and instrumental breaks, with opportunities for solo flute and fiddle and pipes, as well as catchy guitar and bass lines. There's a perfect balance between the melody instruments on Cas, and the addition of lap steel to the rhythm section is an unexpected bonus.
Steph Geremia "Up She Flew"
Fabulous flute playing from this adopted Galwegian, Up She Flew is the second solo CD from Ms Geremia and certainly lives up to the promise of her debut. It's taken a while, but Steph has been busy: as a core member of the Alan Kelly Gang she has had a punishing schedule of tours, recordings and accordion appreciation lessons. Throughout it all, she's maintained her interest in North Connaught flute music - the tradition of Sligo and Roscommon and Leitrim in particular - and this album is built mainly on that repertoire, gleaned from or shared by some of the great names of Irish flutery. The set of three reels James Murray's #2, Kevin Henry's and Hughie Travers' is perhaps the most obvious example, but there are plenty more. While we're dropping names, there are tunes here by John Joe Gardiner, Martin Wynne (his third and fourth reels), Eddie Maloney, Joe Liddy and Josie McDermott, as well as young whippersnappers Vincent Broderick, Charlie Lennon and Maurice Lennon. One Geremia original is also included here, Benbulben's Shadow, a swirling modal melody which sounds more Breton or Galician than Irish but which falls nicely on the flute.
Beinn Lee "Osgarra"
A Hebridean sound from a six-piece who span everything from ceilidh dances to contemporary songs, Osgarra is a debut recording but this Uist-based band has been established for a few years and boasts huge talent. The instrumental front line of Marie Thérèse Gilfedder on fiddle, Pàdruig Morrison on accordion and Michael Steele on bagpipes is as strong and punchy as any, but also capable of great sensitivity on songs and Gaelic waltzes. James Stewart leads on traditional Gaelic songs as well as two of his own compositions in English and a bold cover of Runrig's The Story. Anna Black and Angus John MacInnes provide solid accompaniment, and all six members of Beinn Lee add extra touches on vocals or instrumentals, giving their music a very full and varied character which makes the time fly for listeners and dancers alike.
Dowally "Somewhere"
A second dollop of Dowally is good for the soul, especially as it's much bigger than the first helping a couple of years ago. The core trio of fiddler/whistler Rachel Walker, accordionist Phil Alexander, and guitarist Dan Abrahams is augmented in places by Graham Coe's cello and Ciaran Ryan's Irish banjo and fiddle. Singer Dominic Blaikie joins them for the Arctic Monkeys' Flourescent Adolescent and the Beatles classic And I Love Her - surprising choices perhaps, but not such a big step from Dowally's blend of Scots trad, Klezmer and jazz. Pairing a crude modern complaint with The Banshee Reel shows rare understanding of that tune's title and makes Flourescent Banshee an exciting roller-coaster ride. The Fab Four ballad is presented pretty straight until the funky final build-up to a great ending.
Fred Guichen "Dor an Enez"
A teenage founder member of the very exciting 1980s band Ar Re Yaouank, button box maestro Fred Guichen has long been at the heart of the new wave of Breton music, following on from Alan Stivell and Dan Ar Braz and Soig Siberil. There are certainly elements of their music here, and plenty of echoes of the older Breton tradition, but almost all of this album is Guichen's own compositions - with performance assisted by the great and good of Brittany and Ireland, including Dónal Lunny, Jacques Pellen, Sylvain Barou and other names you may recognise. Dor an Enez has the distinctive modal cadences and mysterious trance-like cycles of Breton traditional music, but it also has a more modern aspect. Guichen's arrangements are painstaking, precise, perhaps a little drawn-out for Scottish and Irish ears, but perfectly in keeping with the long dances of the Fest Noz. Swirling rhythmic pieces alternate with softer short interludes on solo accordion, almost incidental music: the plaintive Call to Ireland, the more formal Angelus, and the intriguing Sorry Tales. On the longer tracks, changes of instrumentation provide the variety: flute, fiddle, guitars, with Fred's button box the only constant. The traditional piece Koad Freo employs the classic Breton combination of bombarde and biniou khoz, the shrill high F pipe of Brittany. The toe-tapping slide Son of Tipperary adds sparkling banjo by Pierre Muller, a high point of this album for me. After dances and airs, sad pieces and stomping festival tunes, the final track is a complete change: a solo air on highland pipes in the ancient piobaireachd style of the Scottish clans, a striking end to an hour of truly original music.
Kerry Fitzgerald "Fiddle Beatz"
The horribly talented Fitzgerald siblings from Bancroft in Ontario are experts in traditional fiddle and dance, but Kerry has extended her interests to more modern dance music on this solo CD. Blending fiddle tunes with electronica and dance rhythms, Fiddle Beatz is cool, it's funky, it's gnarly, and even a trad-head like me can enjoy it. Kerry breaks you in gently - soft piano on Could, then a subtle beat and smooth fiddle notes, before the breathless vocals and pounding loops of Shadow. There's a lot of humour on the title track, along with a cleverly syncopated melody line and more electronic effects. Questions is a bit more laid back, could almost be a live step-dance and fiddle track, while Leave is like an avant garde fiddle solo with some really inventive percussion. Vague Words reminds me of modern country music, intriguing vocals and a real dance groove that wouldn't be out of place in Nashville or even Vegas. Ready is rather like Ashley MacIsaac's iconoclastic Sleepy Maggie track, and Tofino is a fiddle showpiece worthy of newgrass pioneer Mark O'Connor: it's got everything. Just when I was wondering when Ms Fitzgerald was going to include the kitchen sink, the mood calmed considerably for Lakehouse - a sultry slow glide not without its share of fancy effects but at a more moderate tempo. The final Mem completes the warm-down routine, relaxing piano and fiddle combining in an elegant slow air. All instruments and vocals are performed by Kerry, but she had help with the effects and programming. The bewildering variety on Fiddle Beatz offers something for everyone, and shows the breadth and depth of Kerry Fitzgerald's talent outside the purely traditional genre. There's someone you know who would love a copy of this album, and you'll probably enjoy most of it yourself.
Tim Edey "The Sleeping Tunes"
Possibly one of the most prolific and versatile of English musicians, Tim Edey has recently released an album of lively tunes and songs on button box and vocals, and a jazzy trad collaboration with Kiwi moothie magician Brendan Power, but this CD showcases Tim on acoustic guitar playing a solo selection of slow tunes and song airs. Fourteen beautiful melodies from Scotland and Ireland, plus two from Denmark and Asturias, are lovingly rendered on a nylon strung instrument. The gorgeous Eriskay Love Lilt - the Anne Lorne Gilles version - and Gaol Troimh Aimsirean represent Gaelic song from the Western Isles. Seven Years and Maidin Luan Cincise come from the Begleys of County Kerry. The Skye Boat Song and The Queen's Four Marys are from the Scots Jacobite song tradition. Other airs here are more recent: Steve Cooney's Bless the Road, Phil Cunningham's Spring the Summer Long, Dougie MacLean's Broken Wings, and Herr Roloff's Farewell by James Scott Skinner.
Own, 2017
A bit of a masterpiece of Breton music.
Own label, 2017
Many songs are set in a fictional mystical world which makes them at home in folk music - a world of woodlands, willow and Jew trees, trees with large roots; some of the songs have similarly mystical subjects such as a hunter turned into a hare and being hunted by his own son. Such a richness of great mature songwriting demands the stellar cast of guest musicians found on the album, including her duo partner Lukas Drinkwater on bass and guitar, Peter Knight on fiddle, Evan Carson on Percussion, Alex Cumming on accordion, Jon Dyer on whistle and Lee Cuff on cello. Yet the music is centred on Ange Hardy and her singing, with some songs stripped back to her voice. The album also features Ange’s live music trademark of looping her own voice to sing in chorus with herself. A superb album cementing Ange’s position as one of the top new songwriters on the English folk scene.
Jazzhaus Records, 2018
Nordic Notes , 2018
InqueDanzasSonores, 2017
Bendidedig , 2018
Rootbeat Records 2018
Their new album keeps up with the extremely high standard of musicianship and song writing set by the duo on their previous albums. As usual many of the songs pick up social and political topics, in a non-dogmatic observant way. There’s a Greg Russell song about HS2 (the planned controversial new high speed railway in England) as well as a Ciaran Algar song about the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. Poignant lyrics, powerful singing, as well as impressive musicianship on guitar and fiddle turn this new album once again into a great contender for a best folk album of 2018. Yet again superb from the first to the final second.
Iscream Music Records 2018
Own Label, 2016
Blackie is acknowledged as one of the top uilleann pipers worldwide, a piper's piper, and here he puts the ancient beast through its paces in fine style. Slurs, squeals, deep crans and high triplets flow from his fingers faster than you can say three more pints please. There's plenty going on in the regulators too, a full pipering sound which dominates most tracks. Eoghan Neff is an innovator, first with his brother Flaithrí and more recently solo: his fiddle is a one man band, melody and rhythm and everything in between, and here it's augmented with on-stage looping gadgetry. You can almost smell the incense of bow hairs burning on The Musical Priest, and the ringing back strings on James Byrne's Jig are a lovely touch. Cyril is a consummate accompanist, driving Hardiman the Fiddler like a champion jockey on the home straight, and he adds an inspired percussion line to Lyons' march. He also sings two songs, his own contemplative Western Wind and Ian Sinclair's bitter ballad of Scottish soldiering The King's Shilling, both with a pleasant voice and strong delivery. Dubhlinn finish with another trio of reels, all modern this time: McGoldrick's iconic Windbroke, Tola Custy's thumping Up Downey, and finally Diarmaid Moynihan's challenging Malbay Shuffle subtitled Three Go Mad in Doolin. Only eight tracks, but each one is a monster, and few of us would have the energy even to listen to much more of this high-octane fare without taking a breather: splendid stuff, and an instant classic.
© Alex Monaghan
Harmonia Mundi, 2017
This instrumental line-up is not so different from what might have been heard in the grander drawing-rooms of Scotland and Ireland in the 1700s. We know that the fiddle and cello combination was a common one, and that there was a vogue for local music and dance which was to some extent curtailed by the Jacobean uprisings. Arranged pieces such as these variations on The Rakes of Westmeath and the highland battle suite from The Caledonian Pocket Companion would have been performed alongside dance music featuring The Rakes of Mallow, The Reel of Tulloch, The Lads of Laois or The Marquis of Huntly's Strathspey. The Curious Bards make a very good job of recreating that ambience, perhaps with a touch too much classical vibrato at times, but all nine instrumental tracks here are enjoyable and plausible as eighteenth century provincial entertainment. The songs are rather different: soprano Ilektra Platiopoulou has a strong clear voice, with a hint of an accent in English, and her delivery is thoroughly classical for the theatrical Since Sounding Drums, the pastoral Kilkenny is a Handsome Place and the traditional Lady Anne Bothwell's Lament. I suggest that singing in this style is unlikely to have been heard except on stage, at theatres or concert halls, in 1700s Scotland or Ireland: even if I am wrong, it is certainly not a style associated with traditional song for at least the last fifty years. Maybe it will make a comeback.
Whatever its authenticity - and no claims are made in this respect - [Ex]Tradition is an interesting recording, very well performed and professionally produced to the highest standard. The material is roughly one third Scottish and two thirds Irish, based on the eighteenth century publishers which seems to be a fairly reliable indication. Notes are provided in English and French, and there is more information on the website including sound samples of each track. Search the site for "Curious Bards", and give this album a listen.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
© Alex Monaghan
GO Danish Folk Music, 2018
A rhythmic Halling from Norway, an eerie Swedish polska, a swirling bridal waltz and a catchy Reinlender are among the older tunes delightfully arranged and delivered by Fru Skagerrak. Jacobsen's Den Glade Brygger, Lindblad's Cajun-styled New Couch Two-Step, and the cheeky Roll Your Rs are new compositions, great additions to the fiddle repertoire. The vocal numbers are a mix of old and new words, old and new melodies, delivered mostly unaccompanied with gentle harmonies, sweet and easy on the ear. An American fiddle tune, a couple more Fru Skagerrak originals, and Ankerdram is over: but I'd be amazed if you didn't want to hear it again. The notes to this CD are brief but entertaining, the sleeve design is lots of fun, and the music is really quite compelling.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
Dan Pushes his own boundaries at times: with flat keys, with the showpiece Tullochgorum, and with some finger-twisting modern music by Jerry Holland, Denis Lanctot, Gordon Duncan and others. He bravely lines up Sleepy Maggie alongside Jenny's Chickens, and tackles the Johnny Cunningham hallmark reel Miss Shepherd, with outstanding success. This last track, and one or two others including Nollaig Casey's Mouseskin Shoe, benefit from some prodigious percussion by Cameroon's Njacko Backo and Ghanaian Walter MacLean. In fact, MacDonald deserves considerable praise for the range of accompanists he has recruited on Rural/Urban: in addition to these African maestros, Mac Morin and Brian Taheny supply archetypal Cape Breton piano and guitar, Brian switches to banjo and bouzouki later on, Ross Griffiths is similarly flexible with cameos on flute, Irish pipes and Scottish pipes, the MacDonald brothers bring various stringed instruments to the party, Ed Woodsworth rumbles around on bass, and a few others chip in from time to time. It all adds up to an album that's long on both quantity and quality, fiddle led but full of variety, a great introduction to Dan MacDonald's music.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
© Alex Monaghan
MusTraDem, 2018
Unlike most live recordings, about half the material here has not been released in a studio version as far as I can tell. Le Zèbre et le Mannequin, En Attendant Nono, Kalaallit Nunaat Walz and the intriguingly titled The Chauve Must Go On don't seem to appear in Djal's extensive back catalogue. L'Ecole des Lucioles, L'Antre de Vénus and L'Emasculée Conception certainly do, and Ebénine may build on their previous Ivoirine, but every live track is a fresh take on folk music, and some of it is barely French. Polska and Farelquesh dances sit alongside the bourées and rondeaux and gavottes of central France, keeping the dancers quite literally on their toes. Djal blur the boundary between old and new music: their originality is in their arrangements as much as their compositions. Hypnotic accordion, soaring flute and recorder, weeping hurdy-gurdy, rock-solid bouzouki and visceral rock bass, Quarterlife is a fitting testament to 25 years of Djal's music, and looks forward to Halflife in a few years' time!
© Alex Monaghan
Padiddle Records, 2018
Abbzug is a new oldtime showpiece, kinda like Orange Blossom Special without the smoke and steam. The fiddle wheels grind, the boys pick up the rhythm, and the whole train gathers pace until it all becomes a little loco. In the Kitchen is a complete contrast, a domestic idyll on bowed bass, beautiful and serene, a voluptuous slow dance like an oriental tea ceremony perhaps, or pouring maple syrup on bacon. All the music here is credited to Haas, Kowert and Tice - Leslie's turn will come - but Horpe's Reel could easily be a traditional piece, deftly picked on guitar and mandolin. Kowert is working way down the fingerboard again, and Haas doubles on guitar, but the fretted boys shine on this one. The title track is surprisingly gentle, intricate yet understated, with hints of Scandinavian music in the smooth fiddling and rich resonances.
El Camino Part 2 brings us back to the backwoods and bluegrass and that bouncy bluesy beat, but without any banjos. It's a live track, with each member of the group taking a fancy solo duly applauded by the audience. Both Horpe's Reel and Randy were also recorded live and add that frisson of stage excitement. The latter is not what you might expect: its slow rippling melody is more appeasing than arousing, suggesting pleasant inactivity. Before it come two oldtimey tracks, Boatwoman and Britt Guit, great fiddling and accompaniment in a range of rhythms and tempos, sparkling mandolin, and some funky fretwork on guitar too. Finally we have Frog and Toad, an edgier composition with impressive bass effects, ebbing and flowing, mixing the smooth and spiky, slow drag and swing, delicate and driving sounds of Hawktail.
© Alex Monaghan
Wild Goose, 2018
The songs, sung in a strong voice by Gillett, are a mixed bag. I'm biased regarding Blow the Candles Out because when I was 16 I shared a stage with superb singer Nick Turner who delivered a stunning interpretation of this song: there's so much more to be made of it. The Golden Willow Tree is a typical English folk song with a nice Deliverance intro, a slightly garbled version of The Golden Vanity performed well by this trio. Jimmy and Nancy is an unexceptional take on the tale of the returning sailor, and Bridget O'Malley seems to be a remake of the Silly Wizard performance from their 1979 album So Many Partings. The song which I really struggle with here is The Deserter which has all the worst features of English folk songs: long, repetitive, slow-moving, nonsensical, and set to a rather dull eight-bar tune played almost twenty times through. To give you a taste, there are no fewer than four repetitions of the lines "I was quickly followed after, I was brought back with speed / I was hand-cuffed and guarded, heavy irons put on me". On a more positive note, Mischief Afoot closes with another charming piece, Dellow's Ruskin Mill, beautifully played on solo fiddle and then with recorder and guitar harmonies, a very sweet ending.
© Alex Monaghan
GO Danish Folk, 2018
The title tune is an elegant waltz on fiddle and cittern, featuring grand piano by guest Julian Svergaard who appears on about half the tracks here. Flugten til Sverige is a driving dance tune, delicate in places but strong and rhythmic on both fiddle and cittern. Hoffmann's waltz for his father's 60th birthday is a lovely tune, swirling and flowing but with a clear direction, well worth learning. Dysseager is a waltz by Emma, high and sweet, otherworldly like the old music of Norway and Shetland. A gentle jig, a whimsical polska-like piece, and the almost-bluegrass virtuoso Kris med Saksen bring us to Bettys Polska on viola and guitar, a beautiful composition by Villads and perhaps my favourite here. Det Gamle Bageri may be a traditional tune - nobody claims it. The final track is another gentle waltz, wistful and charming, setting the seal on a highly accomplished and beguiling album.
© Alex Monaghan
Nordic Notes, 2018
Lempi-Ihmisille introduces the rauchy, rocky style and range of traditional sounds which characterises Enkel's music. From Kauhajoki With Love takes the traditional dances of Kaustinen and kicks them up a gear with some shameless modern ideas. Tipitii is surprisingly gentle, great viola and melodeon over delicate complex vocals. Iltalypsy is another charming melody with a bit of a surprise ending, and Siskoille 1925 is a powerful song with some dramatic joiking thrown in. Havuja is one of Enkel's new polkas, sinuous and saucy. The final Totia ja Sympatiaa combines traditional song with this group's punchy new music, a real pick-me-up.
The musicianship from all four members of Enkel is exceptional. Any one of them is capable of virtuoso solos, and their polished arrangements are jaw-dropping at times: rich harmonies, choral singing, carefully choreographed stops and starts, as well as slipping in extra phrases or snippets of Spice Girls songs. You could almost believe that these four have special powers. They certainly deserve their image as superheroes of Finnish folk. We Are Enkel is a real treat, not to be missed! The sleevenotes are in Finnish and English, and the photos are out of this world.
© Alex Monaghan
Own label, 2018
The title Music in the Frame couldn't be more appropriate - it is all about that West Clare music. Josephine's set of three slip jigs is a fine example: they trot along very pleasantly with no fuss, no rush, and certainly no fanfare. The accompaniment is low key, Seamus Cahill on guitar or Pat Marsh on bouzouki, a tickle of bodhrán, a hint of piano. Ms Marsh is joined by Mick Kinsella on free reeds, Steve Larkin on fiddle, Jack Kinsella on pipes, Andrew Kinsella and Angelina Carberry on banjos, adding different textures but never swamping the music. Whether it's the traditional Old Pensioner Reel or the modern Danish jig Humle, the Scottish air Roslin Castle or Andy DeJarlis' Valse de Beau Canton, Josephine Marsh makes them her own. Tomgraney Castle Hornpipe is an unhurried gem, Andrew's Winning Smile is a delightful cheery reel, and the final jig-reel medley finishes this CD on another high note. Plenty to enjoy, plenty to learn, and plenty still to come I hope from Josephine Marsh.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2017
© Alex Monaghan
Lúnasa Records, 2018
In their first vocal venture, Lúnasa seem to have tried to cover all the bases. Tim O'Brien's song The Water is Wise belies its title by making allegorical sense in a homespun frontier wisdom sort of way: go with the flow, you'll end up somewhere interesting. Natalie Merchant's rendition of The Bonny Light Horseman is dark and dreary, wringing every drop of emotion from this Napoleonic lament. Daoirí Farrell's contribution is perhaps the most traditional here, Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore in a strong clear voice with words that almost make sense and a good driving accompaniment. Mary sings The Irish Girl, a cross between stream of consciousness and mystic vision, low and smoky and elusive. Finally, the traditional American My Lord What a Morning has Eric Bibb preaching apocalypse and the End of Days, salvation and damnation and nothing in between - maybe this is what happens when an instrumental band finally opens the door to singers. Cas ends with another big set of traditional Irish tunes, Lúnasa at their best.
© Alex Monaghan
Blackbox Music, 2018
Among Steph's many talents is a fine command of the alto saxophone, which she puts to good use on John Joe Gardiner's dreamy jig Moon Man. She also sings one song, strategically placed in the middle of Up She Flew: the plaintive emigrant soliloquoy Path Across the Ocean which is appropriate to her own journey from New York to Galway via Rajasthan and Roscommon. Either side of this vocal track is a wealth of great flute music: The Victory, Christmas in Spiddal, The Templehouse, Baak-High, Rossriver Waltz, The Housemaid and many more. The first track is enough to convince anyone of Steph Geremia's exceptional skill and musicality: Come Up to the Room I Want Ye is played with rare sensitivity, and followed by The Ebb Tide which exploits the resonant lower notes of the wooden flute and demonstrates this lady's easy control. Steph is joined by world class accompanists on keys, guitars, harp, fiddle, double bass and percussion, subtly enhancing this recording. Smooth and precise, melodic and mellow, Up She Flew is a masterclass in Irish flute and a fine collection of North Connaught music.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
Beinn Lee's Uist background is evident from the off, with imaginative use of clips from Iain MacLachlann's classic recording An Island Heritage. The band launches into big West Coast pipe tunes Lexy MacAskill and Air an Fhèill a-Muigh, plus a piece by Michael, before one of several Gordon Duncan compositions The Fourth Floor. Next up is the first of James' songs, Begin Again, a jaunty number despite its slightly dark theme: Beinn Lee transforms into a rock band with remarkable ease, slotting in a contemporary reel by Marie Thérèse without breaking sweat. Alasdair Uilleim's is a set of highland quicksteps at almost terminal velocity, which is how the dancers on Uist like them. Muilean Dubh is a Hebridean favourite, and has the advantage that it can be played extremely fast! Moladh Eubhal is a total contrast, a pastoral song written on Uist in the early 20th century, its gentle melody and soothing words delicately delivered here. The title track is another storming set of tunes, jigs and reels this time, three by modern composers and an old favourite to finish: B'Fhèarr Mar a Bha Mi 'n Uiridh. The only track which didn't grab me on Osgarra was the song Now Girl, written by the band: the lyrics are a bit weird, caught between benign and threatening, and I found the arrangement dragged compared to the rest of this recording.
Uibhisteach means "Uist stuff", and is a selection of four very different melodies, all equally fine. The choice of track name is odd, because there is "Uist stuff" throughout this album, from the fine Gaelic waltzes Tilleadh Dhachaigh and A Mhàiri Bhòidheach to Archibald Lindsay's pipe jig The Skylark's Ascension. The artwork is all about Uist, the band's core fan base is in Uist, and in fact the whole CD reeks of Uibhisteach - which can only be a good thing! If you want to hear what the folks are listening to from Lochmaddy to the Ludag, get yourself a copy of Osgarra: you won't be disappointed.
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
With the exception of the vocal covers, Walker and Abrahams have written all the material once again. Starting with the delicious Sunday Brunch, the instrumental selection ranges from cool jazz on Up the River to the jaunty Port Inn Hornpipe. Ryan's banjo brings an infectious bounce to the backwoodsy Chris and Emily's and the final burlesque bash: there's more than a hint of his band Dallahan in the music of Dowally, and it would be fun to get them on stage together. The gentler side of Somewhere includes the terrible pun Be Mine or One and the dreamy Veruda, both reminiscent of Manouche music. One of my favourites is the driving Castellation, another great word whose meaning matches the uppy-downy nature of this piece. Find your favourite at Bandcamp or iTunes, and don't forget to pop over to www.dowally.com and tell them how much you like their albums.
© Alex Monaghan
Paker Prod, 2018
© Alex Monaghan
Own Label, 2018
© Alex Monaghan
Gnatbite Records, 2017
Tim Edey's guitar technique is flawless and smooth, and his performances here are both sensitive and moving. There's a gentleness which carries through every tune, a delicacy in arrangement and tempo: even the title track by Gordon Duncan is transformed from a powerful pipe tune to a more soothing lullaby, which may have been the late great piper's intention all along. Bridget O'Malley and The Loch Tay Boat Song are similarly sweetened in Edey's hands, rising above their maudlin subject matter. Rune Barslund's Vals Til Mor & Far is an appropriately jaunty piece, celebrating his parents' anniversary, and the final Anada Pa Gael by Asturian piper Xose Manuel Tejedor provides a moving finish to a fine collection of soulful and reflective guitar music.
© Alex Monaghan
