Albums

Kacy & Clayton are operating at a point where youth, experience, inspiration, enthusiasm, energy and talent are all combining to work together in the creation of something new and stimulating.

…let me tell you that this is an excellent first album. It is melancholia but in the tradition of British folk music that leaves you feeling good. The music does not impose itself, it laps around you, encourages you to become immersed and wants you to explore the words.

The fire and fury and commitment of Planxty as a hell of a performing unit is there in full force. Live sets are by their nature usually best aimed at the converted, but for someone outside of the established Planxty fan-base One Night In Bremen certainly steers closer into the “worth acquiring” category than the majority of live releases.

I can’t fault the playing here one jot, nor indeed the production quality of Volunteer, nor for that matter the songs themselves which clearly display both affection and craft. But I’m left with a nagging feeling that there’s more than a hint of contrivance, “adopting a role” and being all things to all listeners with this album.

A remarkable album of such texture and prowess that at points its scope, concentrated into the workings of two masters of their instruments, takes the breath away. The pacing, structure, packaging and context, including inspired liner notes from Andy Morgan, is all impeccable and it all combines to result in a truly inspired, beautifully conceived project.

You can’t fail to sit there open-mouthed at the astounding dexterity of the playing on Midnight Skyracer’s debut album Fire…It’s hard to believe the band’s been together barely a year!  Yeah, I gotta say it, this CD is tremendous.

Featuring the likes of Michael McGoldrick, Donald Shaw, Adam Holmes and John Smith and more, ‘Love Is The Bridge Between Two Hearts’ is the first duo EP/Album from Heidi Talbot and John McCusker – They have created something which sounds fresh and beautiful.

On Sweet Thursday Ivar tackles contemporary America from a personal standpoint, through the lens of literature and with an omnivorous knowledge of the history of music. Put like that it sounds dry, even academic, but Ivar’s wit and melodic sense ensures that it is nothing of the sort. Watch his new video Down by the Jacaranda.

Dom Flemons pays tribute to the music, culture, and the complex history of the golden era of the Wild West’s and sheds light on the role that African-American, Native American and Mexican men and women pioneers played in westward expansion. An enduring testament to the Black cowboys and what they represent.

ARC is a rich, varied and essential release for anyone who likes traditional music with plenty of thoroughly contemporary reference points and bright tunes that reveal more layers with repeated listening. A superlative work that sounds quite unlike anything else you’ll hear any time soon.

Crockett slips into his songs like a duck to water – It’s hard to imagine what he might have added to enhance this experience, some more songs of course, but Lonesome As A Shadow is small and perfectly formed as it is.

The Brickwork Lizards combine a slew of instruments and influences from all over the world into a musical hybrid that doesn’t take itself too seriously and manages to dazzle, intrigue and entertain. Multi-cultural pop for the world of tomorrow.