Roy Spencer

These Mountain Blues is the latest offering from Scottish singer / song-writer Norrie McCulloch recorded in just three days in a 15th century building in Stirling and featuring some of Glasgow’s most respected musicians.

Good Day Señor shows Conor O’Sullivan to be a songwriter and arranger of formidable talent. This accomplished debut is likely to be only the beginning of a highly promising solo phase in his career.

A very special evening of music was held at St Pancras Old Church recently featuring Ange Hardy and Lukas Drinkwater, Kelly Oliver and Minnie Birch. Read Roy’s live review with photos from Rob.

Curlicue is an exhaustingly foot-tapping, head-nodding collection of captivating tunes. A magnificent debut from Freya Rae and Louis Bingham whose playing matches the decorative curls and swirls depicted in the album title.

Chris Cleverley has infused Apparitions with thought-provoking, searching and often poignant songs of introspection, fleshed out with his own intricate playing and full band arrangements to produce an entirely satisfying and impressive debut.

Gren Bartley has recorded an absorbing collection of songs awash with poetic lyrical imagery and stunning harmonies. His decision to work with a contemporary producer should broaden the appeal of an album where the magnificent creatures are the songs.

Brighton-based Kate Gerrard, otherwise known as The Delta Bell delivers her first full-length album Bow out of the Fading Light, a collection of eleven self-penned songs exploring aspects of love, loss, destruction and redemption.

The Ties that Bind finds Mawkin at their brilliantly inventive best, displaying plenty of the uninhibited energy that they have become known for. They produce a full sound that might usually be associated with larger ensembles – and it sounds like they are having a lot of fun too!

Retaining the boundless energy of Kíla’s early releases, Suas Sios is a rousing, exhilarating experience.  The bewildering array of instruments produces a form of Celtic folk with orchestral depth and detail that makes for a listen as fascinating is it is exciting.

On Dubl Handi’s latest release the playing is exemplary throughout, both Hilary’s melodic banjo and Brian’s unusual percussion captivate, fascinate and keep a firm grasp on the listener’s attention to the end.

On ‘A Tale of Sound and Fury’ The Drystones demonstrate a sophisticated musical maturity that is far beyond their ages, full of the electrifying energy of their debut and showing a growing confidence in their playing and singing.  A thrilling, must-hear collection.

With Not One but Another Andy Kirkham has crafted a collection of consistently dazzling, exemplary playing alongside lyrics that are as thought-provoking as they are moving. This is a beautifully played, eclectic album that grows with the repeated listens that it deserves.

Layers of Ages is the latest offering from Peter Knight’s Gigspanner and the result is well worth the wait, leaving no doubt that Gigspanner’s increasingly impressive part-improvised, boundary-crossing sound is like no other. Don’t miss their June 2015 album tour.

The Mariannes are still considered to be something of a secret in their native Ireland. On the strength of this all-too-brief collection any attempt by the Dublin-based urban alt-folk sextet to expand their horizons beyond the Emerald Isle’s shores would be very welcome.

With ‘Into the Well’ The Poozies have created another sparkling contemporary gem of an album. The band’s skilful arrangements and thrilling playing ensure that the their original pieces sit comfortably alongside carefully chosen covers and traditional high-energy Gaelic puirt-a-beul, jigs and reels.

‘High Rise’ is an album of wondrous beauty from start to finish, with pieces that combine jazz, blues and classical with Scottish roots music. The work of Scottish fiddler and composer David Grubb this is a superb, confident soundtrack to a bustling city, as observed by a visitor.

On the Demon Barbers latest offering a bewildering array of styles is woven into the pieces, as traditional folk songs are reinterpreted with a contemporary dance music twist. Overlaid by Damien Barber’s powerful, passionate vocal, it all results in a stunning collection of foot-tapping brilliance.

Kings of the South Seas is a mesmerising album of interesting contemporary interpretations that provides a worthwhile recounting of the lure of the sea and the lore of the whales and the sailors who pursued them to their ends. As a whole, it provides a powerful reminder of the extremes that were tolerated in the search for oils before the discovery of mineral fuels.