Albums

Life-long friendship; the rich historical, literary, and musical heritage of the Orkney Islands for inspiration; and a quartet of gifted, imaginative musicians. Fara have all the ingredients for a perfect album, and Times from Times Fall is the proof.

Having relocated from her native New York seven years ago to take up residence in Cambridge, this is Annie Dressner’s first full-length collection to be recorded in the UK…”Shatteringly good.”

Leapfrog comes from a set of tapes recorded in 1998 and found by John Hulburt’s sister and is now available as a digital release via Tompkins Square. A perfect introduction to John Hulburt before you dip into the more expansive Opus III.

Named after a line from a  poem by Marj Ann Samyn, The Place That You Call Home is a new project by New Orleans singer-songwriter Kelcy Mae, produced by Neilson Hubbard and featuring a host of guest musicians including Will Kimbrough.

Nathan Bowles’s finest album yet, a confident recording skilfully crafted and well balanced and containing some of his most challenging and thought-provoking playing.

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.