Albums

‘Tied To The Moon’ is a hugely impressive album from Rachel Sermanni who’s proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the eclectic field of contemporary folk.

Retaining the boundless energy of Kíla’s early releases, Suas Sios is a rousing, exhilarating experience.  The bewildering array of instruments produces a form of Celtic folk with orchestral depth and detail that makes for a listen as fascinating is it is exciting.

On Eas, Iain Morrison joins the uprising of the Gaelic community’s pop-rock ‘fusioneers’ , his strongest and most heart-warming to date, an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Rosemary & Garlic are a folk duo from Amsterdam, their EP ‘The Kingfisher’ provides a small and but well formed offering of their beautiful sound, striking a remarkable balance between coherence and variety.

Three years on from Snow into Fire, the stunning six-track EP that introduced Dirty Grace to the world, the Vancouver-based trio has delivered a wondrous full-length debut further consolidating the two principal aspects of their sonic identity.

‘Dayspring’ is a fine album full of excellent playing and interesting compositions. Grass-Tops Recording deserve credit for having resurrected an album of some significance in the general history of fingerstyle guitar and bringing it to a wider audience.

Joshua Fletcher has been reassessing his songwriting, looking inward rather than casting stones at others, coming to fruition in this sophomore offering, produced by Alex Dezen of the Damnwells.

With a gig at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival Antun Opic releases the excellent Shovel My Coal EP. Both suggest a real step up and the music doesn’t disappoint.

On Samantha Crain’s latest album Under Branch & Thorn & Tree she dwells on the struggles of ordinary people, revealing a poetic beauty in the seemingly prosaic trials of everyday life.

With roots in Aberdeen and the unusual combination of piano and fiddle, Clype have released a stunning debut album of politically engaged songs, with a unique sound drawing from folk and jazz.

Featuring fellow Scots Steve Crawford and Pete Coutts, alongside German multi-instrumenatlist Sascha ‘Salossi’ Loss and Crawford’s long-term songwriting partner Davy Cattanach, Ballad of Crows has strong echoes of late 70s/early 80s Laurel Canyon and its attendant soft folk rock vibe. Certainly one to check.

In part 3 of our live review of Gate to Southwell Festival we have live footage from Clannad, Simpson-Cutting-Kerr, We Banjo 3, The Young’uns, The Tweed Project, Manran and more.