Albums

With Playing for Luck, Ranagri have reached a sweet patch, four musicians showing a cohesion and confidence that seems to have imbued them with a sense of adventure.

It is no overstatement to say that Contradicshun is a masterpiece of shared creativity, the fullest flowering of a partnership that has been nurtured for fifteen years. It is Megson’s most complete album and their best to date.

At the National Piping Centre on Saturday, Cormac took to the stage surrounded by around 8 or 9 concertinas, and it was clear that each one was going to have a fascinating story to tell… all delivered with seemingly boundless energy, infectious passion and astounding skill.

James Patrick Gavin’s ‘Chewing The Fat’ is a beautiful, imaginative album that anyone with a love of contemporary folk music should have in their collection; it was a joy to witness that music brought to the stage in such an accomplished manner.

On Icarus Girl, Siobhan McCrudden offers a fine set of songs and an assuredness to her delivery. Keep an eye on her journey, this singer songwriter has real potential.

Katie Doherty makes a welcome return on her second album ‘And Then’, accompanied by The Navigators: Shona Mooney, Dave Gray and Ian Stephenson. “Hers is an ascent well worth following”.

Across the whole breadth of ‘The Fell’ there is a kind of alchemy at work: The Brothers Gillespie use ostensibly simple musical ingredients to create songs that feel like classics in the making. The Fell shows off British acoustic music in its best possible light.

Those Who Roam is a shining example of the enduring appeal of traditional songs, and of Claire Hastings’s exceptional talent for delivering them. Inge Thomson’s production delivers an inventive finish, and, of course, Claire’s clear and inviting vocal shines throughout.

Nighttime Birds pushes the concept of solo guitar music into a new realm. Even with just that in mind, this album is a triumph, but adding the fact that the music itself is so utterly beautiful, patient and often thrilling, further demonstrates the talent and unique artistic vision of Sarah Louise.

Impressionistic rather than explicit, thoughts and emotions are woven through the musical fabric as much as the lyrics on Kaia Kater’s ‘Grenades’, it marks a huge leap on her musical and personal journey, and sharing it is a privilege.

This definitive reissue of Balaklava automatically supersedes any previous CD editions (all inferior in both sound and presentation), while it also serves as a natural memorial for Tom Rapp himself, who passed away only last February while this new edition was being prepared for release.

Highland guitarist and composer and teacher Calum Wood introduces a 90-mile journey from Perthshire, through the Cairngorm National Park and into the Highlands ‘The Snow Roads’.