Albums

Four years on from his double Grammy nominated Terms of My Surrender, John Hiatt returns with an album that pares it down to basics, his best work since Crossing Muddy Waters back in 2000.

Words We Mean is the second full-length album from Oklahoma trio Annie Oakley that charts a personal journey from youth to womanhood. The original Annie Oakley never missed her target. This is a bullseye too. 

The line that is drawn between the past, the present, and the future of traditional music on Air Fàir An Là is a fine one. As each dawn marks the beginning of something new, different and unknown, and a transition from what has passed and what will be. So too does Air Fàir An Là.

“Katherine Priddy has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. Her tone, phrasing, pitch and sentiment..it’s flawless…and her songs are class too.  The melodies, the lyrics, the concepts… all so incredibly engaging.”

Subtle conflicting tensions run through the best of A Different Threads work; the sweetness and the burn. It’s music that can soothe as it scolds. This duo is showing huge potential.

This album is a pleasure to listen to. The songs are all performed with a swaggering, bluegrass style and the instrumentation is excellent. The beautiful vocal performances of Megan and Maddie add the finishing touch to the whole thing and it is an album I can highly recommend.

A new CD with guitar and box player Tim Edey’s name on it is a safe bet to provide a joyous lift and ‘Once’, with guitarist and fiddle player J.P. Cormier, is absolutely no exception. Stunning, with absorbing, uplifting playing throughout, this will draw you in and demand repeat playing.

Songs have power, and Karine Polwart has a gift for harnessing that power. Her 2018 return to the studio to record Laws of Motion is a perfect reminder of her talent as a performing singer song writer and a worthy addition to her work; an exceptional album, from an exceptional performer.

Portland singer-songwriter Hip Hatchet makes his debut under his own name. His voice is dusty, world-weary and intimate, a melancholic caress, his guitar work simple and uncluttered. The work of a travelling troubadour reflecting on the miles covered…

Away To Tintinara looks every bit a work of art in the literal sense, and audio-wise too this is one of those exemplary releases that is destined to give much lasting pleasure. Don’t hesitate in buying a copy.

David Milton’s voice provides a pure folk tone for these tales of Watchet’s past which deserve to be preserved for future generations. Supported by top-class musicians and sensitively produced by Ange Hardy, it is a genuine slice of English folk music and one that all involved can be proud of.

Ímar have produced an album that preserves all that made their debut such a welcome breath of fresh air whilst giving Avalanche a character all its own. Following the release of an album of this quality, you wouldn’t bet against yet more awards coming their way.