Albums

Overall, Jon Patrick Walker’s ‘The Rented Tuxedo…’ is a fairly whimsical listen of slightly shaggy dog tales, but like that rented tuxedo, it still dresses to impress.

…Martha Wainwright closes her eyes and reaches out her hands…you are watching an artist perform with conviction as she touches the heart of the song. It is the real deal alright, exactly what you come out for on these evenings in the hope of experiencing.

If there is any justice, Connectivity, Grace Petrie’s ninth studio recording, should finally break the charts with its wealth of crowd-friendly, hook-laden, anthemic singalong choruses of folk-rock and country-tinged songs about love and life.

“For Now”, the new solo debut from Christian Glackas as Merciful Heavens may be a tentative start to striking out on his own but will certainly do nicely for now.

While the well-reviewed film is currently doing the rounds, The Tape album stands perfectly on its own without the need for a visual narrative, a glowing testament to Martha Tilston’s ever-burgeoning songwriting, musical and vocal brilliance.

In the final words of Dar William’s ‘I’ll Meet You Here’, she sings “Aren’t we aging well?” Like a fine wine, Williams is indeed a very special vintage that simply gets better and better with time.

On Genius Loci 1: White Peak, The Ciderhouse Rebellion have taken a step further into the unknown, with an album that marries their flawless musicianship with an ever more experimental outlook. The whole album hangs together like a story and is totally captivating.

Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan have crafted an elegantly uncomplicated listen. Dreamy yet thought-provoking at just the right moments, Still As Your Sleeping is an earnest and embracing soundtrack. Thoroughly warm-hearted and beautifully life-affirming. A genuinely gorgeous and magical duet.

Compiled by Lankum’s Ian Lynch, Fire Draw Near is an essential and worthy anthology for anyone with an interest in traditional music and song, it’s also a thoroughly enjoyable, irresistible and inspiring set of songs and tunes.

Featuring Andy Cutting, Ríoghnach Connolly & Ellis Davis, Rosie Hood and more, Locations is the result of the efforts of three Liverpool students who drove across the North of England in a red Corsa filled with audio and film equipment to record six musical combinations in six different locations.

It’s not often that, at first listen, an album almost literally takes your breath away. But Mishra’s ‘Reclaim’ bristles with vibrant energy and has a freshness and lightness of touch that did just that.

It is hard to imagine that there will be a better debut album this year. With ‘The Impossible Wild’, The Last Inklings have shown that they are envelope-pushing visionaries.