Glenn Kimpton

Amoskeag, Liam Grant’s follow-up to his 2021 debut does not disappoint. The whole thing is so well-played and highly creative that it’ll have you hooked. I’ll have to agree with Rob Vaughn, this is f*****’ ace.

Chris Brain’s ‘Steady Away’ is an introspective and reflective offering. Intelligently written and considerately handled, it’s everything a second album should be; an excellent album by a musician really starting to bloom.

Take a bow Bill Mackay and Cooper Crain – BCMC’s Foreign Smokes is like one continual experimental, inquisitive journey, filled with an appealing freshness and dynamism – a strange and thrilling tonic.

Shone a Rainbow Light On is an unusual beast; there is no pretence or anyone trying to overdo things. For all its space and organic spirit, there is a complexity present that the band allows the listener to discover at their leisure. I recommend doing so.

Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhriain’s ‘Double You’ goes beyond virtuosic; it’s also layered with emotion, appreciation for style and tradition and the freedom of just playing. You are left feeling that this partnership was inevitable and absolutely necessary…an essential release.

For those less familiar with John Fahey’s later catalogue, Proofs and Refutations is a great starting point, juxtaposing elegant acoustic picking, crazed vocals in places and distorted guitar. For the rest of you, just enjoy this wonderfully rich and idiosyncratic set.

Talking about “Carrying”, Sally Anne Morgan says: “So much of what we accumulate and carry around with us burdens us, but we also can’t or don’t know how to let go.” Through her music, she leaves you feeling that, in a world full of perils, love can surely overcome all.

Steve Gunn, John Truscinski and Bill Nace’s ‘Glass Band’ is an unpretentiously experimental and adventurous album, with lots to discover and each player bringing plenty to the table. It rewards, perhaps even demands, repeated listens, which is certainly no hardship.

A huge step forward from Bobby Lee, Endless Skyways is a bold, dramatic and sensitive collaboration between the guitarist and his intuitive band. An exciting and fascinating piece of work.

Joost Dijkema’s ‘After Thunder Sun’ is an impressive piece of work, an album unafraid to let hooky, full-band songs sit alongside ragas and American-style solo acoustic instrumentals. Joost’s playing is excellent throughout, and the quality of music is also consistently ace, making this a key listen for fans of high-end guitar music. Bravo.

Damir Imamović, the Sarajevo-born sevdah performer and tambur player tells us about his remarkable new album and soundtrack for Aleksander Hemon’s novel, The World and all that it Holds.

The music across the twelve tracks of Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay is diverse and dynamic, ebbing and flowing like a river, evoking nature and the outdoors wonderfully. Assured in its composition and immaculate in its execution, this one is a must.