Danny Neill

Bitter Better is a glorious, widescreen recording that is full of life. Even when contemplating its ups and downs, there’s an energy and vitality to the work.

In many ways this could be seen as a companion piece to 13 Rivers – it should find a home amongst any music collection belonging to lovers of rich, melodic, song composition.

A super quality live album that both serves as a broad showcase for the music of one of the modern era’s most gifted singer-songwriter’s, in the classic style of such craftsmen, and a pristine document of a great night out on the live circuit in late 2019.

LaVere has a musical grain worthy of a household name and ‘Painting Blue’ is a piece of audio medicine for the difficult times we are living in and an album that will enrich any music collection, get on it now folks.

‘Time in the Trees’ reveals so much more than you may initially be ready for, making it ripe for repeated listening – it should get us all thinking about our relationship with the natural world amid the clutter of the electronic jungle that can monopolise our attention.

As a unit, Darling West are solid, assured and continue to embark on a cosmic journey that this record shows, is unfolding with a bold maturity…a super quality album.

Aoife Nessa Frances has untapped a natural spring of expression and realised the strongest of debuts. This music is all about alerting your inner senses, the silent self that occupies a less defined dreamscape and it works spectacularly well if you are of a mind to go on that journey.

In teasing all the juiciest ingredients from country, folk-troubadour and rockabilly, LaVere is arguably the most undiluted Americana artist as you could wish to find. Fifteen years into her recording career, she’s consistently proving to be one of the genres finest.

Danny Neill looks back at 2019 and shares his top ten albums including releases from Mama’s Broke, Vetiver, Sean Taylor, Richard Dawson, The Waterboys, Eilen Jewell, Jesca Hoop, Steve Gunn, Joan Shelley and Anna Tivel.

Danny Neill sits down with our Artist of the Month Franc Cinelli and digs beneath the surface of his latest offering “Night Songs”. Along the way, they touch on a shared love of vinyl and more.

You must give Cinelli great kudos for his boundless approach to these recordings, he’s allowed the music to guide him down many satisfying and unpredictable avenues. ‘Night Songs’ is an album with a clear thematic purpose that emphatically realises its ambition.

Creating music is indisputably in Edd Donovan’s blood, these songs have solid foundations and were simply waiting for someone with a visionary radar to bring them into the world. An album for people with a taste for beauty, adventure, nature and wonder.