Thank goodness for recordings. In the absence of live music for most of 2020, discovering new music by friends new and old made a major contribution to maintaining mental health. And thank goodness for Folk Radio, over 400 reviewed albums this year, but now I’m asked to pick out 10. Well, maybe that could put a dent in the old mental health. But at least I don’t have to rank them 1 to 10, that would be a task worthy of Hercules. And so, to avoid any unintentional bias, here they are in chronological order.
Track Dogs – Fire On The Rails, Mondegreen records
Back in January, when corona was still the plasma around the sun, the careers of these four musicians took another leap forward with this release. Since their early days as The Garrett Wall Band, Track Dogs have steadily grown into an ever more cohesive partnership, all four sharing the composer credit, all four contributing to vocals. Their arrangements have always exploited the diversity that naturally arises when two Irish, an English and an American musician get together to make music in Madrid. But, with Fire On The Rails, that diversity moulds into a sound that is unique to Track Dogs, while their lyrics continue to delight. An album I frequently return to, whether I’m seeking uplifting, joyful rhythms, or songs with lyrics to engage the brain.
Peter Knight’s Gigspanner Big Band – Natural Invention, Gigspanner
April was a month of riches with Natural Invention and my next two choices all appearing. There’s a special pleasure to be savoured when a band that has overwhelmed you in live performance produces a first studio album that emphatically repeats the trick. If I ever harboured a doubt as to why two well established acts, Peter Knight’s Gigspanner and Edgelarks might want to join, it was completely blown away when they took to the stage at Cropredy 2017. Now an even bigger big band, with the addition of the melodeon of John Spiers, Natural Invention is a tour de force from musicians whose talents for ensemble playing hint at the emergence of a hive mind.
Findlay Napier & Gillian Frame with Mike Vass – The Ledger, Cheerygroove
A conversation with Findlay at Wickham Festival in 2018 was my introduction to a project he’d started with his wife Gillian Frame, collaborating with Mike Vass. The Ledger is the finished product and it’s been well worth the wait. The album title refers to a ledger in which Findlay’s grandfather kept cuttings taken from The Scotsman newspaper in the 1950s and 60s, with lyrics, melodies and descriptive notes for traditional Scottish songs. The 10 songs that make up the album are, for the most part, already well-known but the family connection has been the spur to devise arrangements that breathe a freshness and vitality into them. An album to return to time and again, and each time to be immersed in an ageless but ever fresh tradition.
Will Pound – A Day Will Come, Lulubug Records
Another album resulting from a project dear to the heart of its instigator. When it comes to Brexit, Will’s has been one of the more outspoken voices on the folk scene. But, looking beyond the negatives, he envisaged a tune collection encompassing the traditional music of the remaining 27 EU states, researched while he was still able to travel freely around them. Having obtained Arts Council England funding, A Day Will Come was recorded using a core band of UK musicians plus guests from EU states. The result is a fascinating sampling of Europe’s traditional cultures, highlighting connections that still exist, irrespective of political decisions.
The Haar – The Haar, Nimbus Records/Extinct
Glenn Kimpton remarked at the start of his review “One cannot help but think of this album as part of a trio of works…”. That’s one good reason why it’s on this list as the first of the trio, Stone Soup, led me to a fascinating interview with Adam Summerhayes and Cormac Byrne. For The Haar, they’re teamed up with the melodeon of Murray Grainger and Irish singer Molly Donnery. While Stone Soup was all about improvisation, Molly’s tantalising vocals provide a structure to The Haar that guides the instruments, yeilding an album of beautifully evocative arrangements of traditional Irish songs.
Project Smok – Bayview, AED Records
Three young musicians, very much involved in the vibrant Glasgow scene, set out to make their debut album. Not in Glasgow, but in Clashnarrow Studios in the far North East of Scotland, the lure being an array of classic analogue recording kit. The result, an album that very successfully marries traditional instruments, whistles, pipes, bodhran, guitar, with the not quite so traditional compositions of Project Smok and a host of guests.
The Magpies – Tidings, Corvus Studio
A debut album by four women from disparate musical backgrounds with a determination to put those influences into a melting pot and stir vigorously. From Appalachian bluegrass to Balkan infused fiddle and, in between, traditional songs and band compositions sprinkled with plenty of English, Irish and Scottish mores. If an arrangement that pairs banjo with melodic strings piques your interest, dive into an album that will add sparkle to your day whether you listen to it whole or enjoy the delights of each individual track.
Dirk Powell – When I Wait For You, Vertical Records / Compass Records
Late summer brought this gem of an album to me. Dirk has been steeped in American roots music throughout his life but with appearances on Transatlantic Sessions he’s become increasingly enamoured of Celtic traditions. This album has something of a Celtic supergroup as its “house” band, Donald Shaw, Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker and James Mackintosh. While these guys impart a familiar imprint to some of the arrangements the cross-over works both ways, most notably with a cajun tune, Les Yeaux de Rosalie written by Michael McGoldrick. With an abundance of guest contributions also coming from Dirk’s American collaborators the arrangements are a source of joy throughout the album, but then, so is Dirk’s voice. While he takes the vocal lead throughout there are plenty of other voices and a special treat comes with the harmonies on his duet with Sara Watkins, The Little Things. I’ve listened to plenty of excellent new music since writing about this album back in August but re-visiting When I Wait For You for this Top 10 list has been a real spine tingler.
Shooglenifty – Acid Croft Vol. 9, Independent
Shooglenifty’s first release after Eilidh Shaw’s arrival in the band had been eagerly awaited and, as a long-time devotee of their music, I was as keen as anyone to hear their new material. To say I wasn’t disappointed could be the understatement of the year. The band’s legendary energy and vitality is there, as is the mix of lead instruments, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, banjax, guitar, overlying rock steady rhythms from the backline. Eilidh’s fiddle is, of course, a different voice to Angus’s and that’s emphasised by the fresh take on tune writing that she has brought. Vocals from Kaela Rowan have been part of the sound since 2015 but her influence is clearly maturing and deepening with the passage of time. Shooglenifty’s self-proclaimed acid croft genre is undoubtedly evolving but is definitely in safe hands.
Lauren MacColl – Landskein, Make Believe Records
The music of Landskein is firmly rooted in the landscapes and culture of the Scottish Highlands and, whilst the same could be said of Shooglenifty’s acid croft, it’s hard to envisage two albums offering more diverse perspectives. If acid croft evokes the fevered intensity of a distinctly non-trad village hall ceilidh, Landskein conjures up wandering across heathered mountainsides or relaxing in front of a log fire. The instrumentation for all of these traditional tunes is simple, Lauren plays fiddle and occasional viola, there’s a pump organ to add a drone or two and, on four of the tracks, James Ross adds the lightest of piano touches. The instrumentation may be simple, but the carefully crafted arrangements and Lauren’s articulate interpretations ensure that the music draws out a complex web of emotions from the listener.