Albums

It’s been a long wait for a second full album from Pilgrims’ Way but with Red Diesel they have come up with a CD that puts them firmly back into the leading pack of young traditional musicians.

Prospect Of Skelmersdale is a rare album that manages to be socially aware without being preachy, sonically vibrant without being derivative, but this one ticks all the right boxes. A superbly refreshing listen.

Winter Wilson’s superbly crafted musicianship and heartfelt songs and performance are the bedrock which this country’s folk circuit rests and both it and the world would be a poorer place without them.

On Friday night, at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, The Dead Stations came to the end of its first Scottish tour. The audience had the additional treat of a solo performance from Mairi Campbell.

How does a thirteenth century poet born in the Persian Empire speak to us today? This new recording brings together the most experienced translator/interpreter of Rumi’s words, a poet who traces his roots back to the Beats and a contemporary American Iranian poet.

In terms of songwriting this is the most mature and dazzling thing that Kris Drever has produced so far. A triumph that confirms his place among the best of the best…one to savour.

Green Ginger Wine is a gentle look at a harsh world. There’s a tension in that contradiction which makes Robin Elliott’s music particularly interesting. It’s a pleasure to listen.

The Coven, comprised of O’Hooley and Tidow, Grace Petrie and Lady Maisery, brought warmth, wit and wonder to Greystones on a Friday night in a cold damp Sheffield to celebrate International Women’s Day

Having been through turbulent times, Palomino marks the triumphant return of Treetop Flyers. Just like the distinctive colouring of the horse that the album takes its title from, this one definitely stands out in the show ring.

A definitive musical portrait of one of the finest voices Scotland has produced, whether that be in folk, pop or any other genre.

The River is a delightful and long-anticipated solo debut by Hamish Napier. One that paints portraits of the River Spey’s endless moods and mysteries. Not only that, he paints those portraits with such care and depth of emotion it’s impossible to avoid the irresistible pull of the current.

Fuel is a thoroughly delightful album, and a perfect example of patient and careful growth resulting in a blossoming of creativity. The pace and vitality engage the senses, the vocal performances are captivating and those arrangements, with their wide range of influences, are delightfully detailed but never overdone.