Glenn Kimpton

Poor David’s Almanack is one of those wonderful albums that you can leave on repeat. Fittingly then, David Rawlings took time to talk to us about the cyclical nature the tunes adopted, along with entwined fiddles, prisms and the longevity of a good song.

On David Rawlings latest offering, Poor David’s Almanack, there is a sense of playfulness that is as welcome as it is irresistible. An uplifting, gentle and hugely enjoyable record.

We catch up with Richard Thompson to discuss his new record Acoustic Classics II, the longevity of a decent piece of writing and the protective nature of fans over material.

On Richard Thompson’s Acoustic Classics II, songs from many years, albums and moods, hang together and work alongside one another. It not only displays the journey of the singer but, importantly, flows more coherently than a straight forward ‘best of’ set. One to treasure.

“Songs have very curious existences… they live lives of their own outside and beyond us”. So says American kind-of-folklorist Jake Xerxes Fussell, whose new long player is crafted from history and musical posterity. We got him started on his focus and listened in.

Dellar plays with many styles on this impressive album and the picking is so beautifully human throughout that it feels like an antithesis to many of the click-track recorded sessions we hear.

The beauty of ‘An Idea in Everything’ lies in its unhurried and profoundly mundane messages. Challenging art this album may be, but it is high and beautiful and superb, unlike anything I’ve ever heard. A very impressive achievement.

Ivan Drever and Friends was Recorded at Stromness Town hall and features a host of Orcadian musicians of note and guest appearances by Hazel and Jennifer Wrigley and more.