Neil McFadyen

The pan-continental beats and musical traditions are there in abundance and the host of new collaborators bring new life to the music. The Source is an energetic and captivating album….just like their live shows.

The assured performances on this album rival those of any professional trad musician, songwriter or tunesmith with far more experience to draw on. Dallahan are a remarkable creative unit that offer something new, distinct and infinitely appealing.

An album that enthrals and entrances the senses, places traditional song under a fascinating new spotlight and confirms Rachel Newton as one of our most original and gifted interpreters of those traditions.

Sam Carter’s third solo album ‘How the City Sings’ presents a perfectly balanced blend of soft acoustics, upbeat rhythms and fiery rock. A wonderfully engaging release that showcases the wide spectrum of his craft.

Produced by John McCusker, the latest offering from The Paul McKenna Band is yet another first-class collection of contemporary acoustic music inspired by a love of the traditions it fosters.

On Friday night, at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, The Dead Stations came to the end of its first Scottish tour. The audience had the additional treat of a solo performance from Mairi Campbell.

The River is a delightful and long-anticipated solo debut by Hamish Napier. One that paints portraits of the River Spey’s endless moods and mysteries. Not only that, he paints those portraits with such care and depth of emotion it’s impossible to avoid the irresistible pull of the current.

Fuel is a thoroughly delightful album, and a perfect example of patient and careful growth resulting in a blossoming of creativity. The pace and vitality engage the senses, the vocal performances are captivating and those arrangements, with their wide range of influences, are delightfully detailed but never overdone.

Questio Io…where to start? In Glasgow would be best probably, among the thriving live folk and jazz clubs the city, its inhabitants and its visitors foster. Scottish Folk / Jazz fusion – a beguiling album!

This is a much stronger step forward from Blue Rose Code than might be initially apparent. It’s an album that rewards return visits with new discoveries and one on which his Scottish roots are far more in evidence. Ultimately, it’s all about those songs…his best yet.

For ‘Summer Isles’, Mairearad’s taken what seems like a whole new approach to writing, a wealth of new influences and woven a warm, finely crafted tribute. It’s as enchanting as the islands that inspired it and as full of riches as their history.

In 2, The Gloaming meet and exceed the expectations encouraged by their debut. It’s another enthralling, captivating interpretation of Irish tradition. For some reason it’s all rather emotional – that emotion tends to be joy, frequently mixed with wonder.