Honest, in-depth album reviews by KLOF Mag – championing and curating intelligent, uncompromising voices in contemporary and experimental music since 2004.
Albums
Her fiddle playing is peerless; her voice soft, warm and soothing; and her rapport with the audience as easy and sincere as if she was chatting with a neighbour. With a surprise guest slot from Siobhan Miller the full house at the Tron Theatre would clearly welcome Rayna back to Celtic Connections again and again.
by Mike Davies
Gem Andrews’ Vancouver navigates the listener through folk and alt-country numbers with a crystal streams voice, at times evocative of the McGarrigles from whom she covers their classic Heart Like A Wheel. Seek this wonderful album out.
With Wolves the Lamb Will Lie balances richly detailed lyrics with accessible arrangements which present M.G. Boulter’s musical vision intact. Anyone looking for instruction in the dark art of writing meaningful and original songs would be well-advised to give this a good, close listen; meanwhile the rest of us will be over here, losing ourselves in Matt’s music.
by Mike Davies
It’s rare that a compilation warrants an album of the year tag, but ‘The Essential Gretchen Peters’ does. Released to coincide with her UK Tour which kicks off at Celtic Connections this month.
by Thomas Blake
Photographs of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy often show him squinting in the light of a real or imagined sun, his brow shiny with the sweat of the boozer, the fervent preacher, the madman or the honest labourer….on this timely collection we are offered new and tantalising views of them all.