Albums

Kirsty McGee’s ‘The Deafening Sound of Stars’ is an unqualified celestial masterpiece and the most ineffable romantic album of the year, one to fall in love with and to.

Raw is a valuable addition to the ever-growing canon of outstanding work from Reg Meuross, and confirms that intelligent song writing of the highest calibre, thoughtfully delivered, is still alive and well as we move towards the end of 2019.

Danny Neill shares some of the highlights from Richard Thompson’s 70th Birthday bash at the Royal Albert Hall which featured an incredible line-up of guests “the royalty of 20th-century folk music”. A simply unforgettable night.

Stir displays the creativity and versatility of Bill MacKay and Katinka Kleijn, who use just the cello and guitar to form such an artistically and emotionally broad-reaching canvas.

An album of hooks and musical nuances with lyrics that illuminate an increasingly problematic issue in the modern world with compassion, hope and honesty, elevating Cleverley to one of the most vital voices of today’s folk generation.

Luke Daniels’ “Old Friends & Exhausted Enemies” is full of mystery and emotion. It is the work of a discerning reader, a remarkable songwriter, and a musician with the touch of an alchemist.

Timeless; exquisite production; great selection of tunes; social commentary. What’s not to dislike? Nothing. But what has lifted it even higher for me is that my partner says that she really likes it. Now that kind of praise is extremely rare.

Intense and committed, soulful, exciting and playful, with an energy level that’s quite literally unstoppable, so that after close on 57 minutes you still feel this album could go on for all time; I sure want it to!

Songs from the Bardo offers the listener a continuous soundscape of free-association that transcends time – a profound and subtly moving spiritual experience…listen without distraction and enlightenment will surely follow.

Hannah James has created an album that explores life from countless angles. It is sad, fun, wise, angry and thought-provoking in equal measure and it has a real flair for the dramatic. She has established herself as a highly individual and almost unparalleled songwriter.

On his third long-player, Frontier, Gallagher opens a seam and explores the nature of love in these uncertain times. His Andalusian odysseys have proven fruitful yet again.

Just Around the Bend is of monumental importance and an engrossing release not least, of course, due to the gentle force of Mike Seeger’s own personality, his over-reaching enthusiasm for old-time and its practitioners.