Albums

Eilen Jewell’s ‘Gypsy’ is one of those rare things, an album containing a perfect dozen songs without a single dud track. If all were right and just in the world, she would one day take her place amongst the country music legends.

A delight from start to finish, Liag is a superb collection of tunes which reunites Dermot Byrne, Éamonn Coyne and John Doyle, three exemplary musicians, totally at one with each other and their music.

Part Two of our Cambridge Folk Festival features Rura, Karine Polwart, José González, Calexico and Iron & Wine, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening, McGoldrick, McCusker and Doyle and Daoirí Farrell’s All-Star Celtic Session.

Angie McMahon is a walking contradiction, a smiling 24-year-old who roars like a lion, a gentle folk singer who rocks with raw abandon, a guarded thinker who wears her heart on her sleeve. She wrestles with her demons in public, providing insight we can’t afford to ignore.

So busy is she that Sandra Kerr’s discography to date barely reaches double figures so a brand new solo CD is cause for celebration indeed. Rebel with her Chords finds her in mighty fine canny fettle and eternally committed to the cause.

The pleasure Topette!! derive from playing together spreads like proverbial wildfire to its listeners with the result that Rhododendron is one of those rare instrumental – and dance-oriented – albums which gives virtually equal proportions of cerebral and visceral pleasure. Seriously recommended.

“Dare”, Banter’s second album, is an equally polished showcase for the talents of three accomplished, adventurous musicians featuring Simon Care, Tim Walker and Nina Zella – they started out as a ceilidh band with a few songs, now they’re a concert band who can play ceilidhs.

Illinois-based contemporary roots-bluegrass-Americana five-piece Old Salt Union return with their fourth album ‘Where The Dogs Don’t Bite’. Produced by Alison Brown, the album brings out the best in the band and plays to their strengths.

The first live review coverage of Cambridge Folk Festival is in – featuring Ben Caplan, The Rails, Ralph McTell, Graham Nash, Tunng, Chloe Foy, Lisa O’Neill, Lucinda Williams, Nick Mulvey, Richard Thompson, Crooked Weather, Daoiri Farrell’s All-Star Celtic Session and more.

The HawtThorns are an L.A. duo comprising singer-songwriter KP (downsized from Kirsten Proffit), formerly of Calico, and guitarist Johnny Hawthorn, both of whom have solo albums under their belt.

Onward! The Photos is a superb memento and celebration of the first fifty years of Ian A Anderson‘s career. A vitally important figure in the history of folk, roots, acoustic and World music, it is surely time for a full and appropriate recognition of his pivotal contribution.

Ian Noe tells compelling stories set to simple but infectiously memorable melodies. He cites John Prine as his biggest influence; this can stand shoulder to shoulder with his fellow Kentuckian’s self-titled debut.