Honest, in-depth album reviews by KLOF Mag – championing and curating intelligent, uncompromising voices in contemporary and experimental music since 2004.
Albums
by David Weir
Serene and subtle on the surface, with a deeper undercurrent running through – Rozi Plain’s aptly-titled third record, see’s her joined by a host of alt-folk familiars. The results are utterly spellbinding.
by David Kidman
The stunningly direct, positive live feel of Robb Johnson & The Irregulars latest album commands maximum respect, not least for its driven, joyful spontaneity, and, when played at full volume especially, is fabulously resplendent in its punchy detail and all that glory.
by Roy Spencer
With ‘Into the Well’ The Poozies have created another sparkling contemporary gem of an album. The band’s skilful arrangements and thrilling playing ensure that the their original pieces sit comfortably alongside carefully chosen covers and traditional high-energy Gaelic puirt-a-beul, jigs and reels.
by Mike Davies
In her notes on the album, Thea writes that listening back to the old songs was like being haunted by the ghosts of her past. Rather than exorcise them, she’s given them new life while continuing to graffiti the wall of the music industry with music that matters, music with a heart and a mind rather than a corporate game plan. Long may she be “the girl that went and …
22 Strings finds Seckou Keita at the top of his game in a never less than compelling collection which draws together many threads: musings on identity, place, history, of music viewed through the lenses of past and present. An absorbing document of his inner search for answers to some of the essential questions of existence, filtered through his deep respect for tradition while facing the future with an irrepressible positivity.
by Mike Davies
What started as a duo performance with long-term musical partner James Ross has grown to larger stages including Celtic Connections. Star guests include Rhiannon Giddens, Anna Massie, Heidi Talbot, Cathal McConnell and many more. That’s a big parlour!
by Mike Davies
Luke Jackson’s latest album ‘This Family Tree’ is short but perfectly formed, sharply and sympathetically observed and emotionally involving. Further evidence that Jackson is shaping up to become one of the enduring major figures in the world of contemporary folk.
With a new line up including Dan Walsh, Paloma, Joe and Tom have pushed the UFQ to new heights and The Escape offers exactly that with myriad musical highlights and global grooves to get lost in for months. This is the band at their brilliant best so make sure you catch them live on their current tour.
The Spyglass & The Herringbone gathers up all of Jackie Oates promise to date, dusts it down and adds polish to present a sparkling jewel of a folk record. It’s a rare and most refined thing of gift of great beauty and as good a record as you could rightly hope for, that’s all yours for the small price of admission.
by David Kidman
On Annabelle Chvostek’s latest release ‘Be The Media’ she’s gone back to her indie roots. She may have described her earlier album Resilience as “a big complicated hug”, due to its warm enveloping nature, but ‘Be The Media’, despite initial appearances of spiky acerbity, turns out to be just as enveloping in its own way.
It’s two years since Manx trio Barrule released their debut album with the declared intention of bringing the music of the Isle of Man to everyone’s attention. Their follow-up, Manannan’s Cloak, is more varied and even more energetic and appealing than the first. If Barrule is yet to enter your musical life, open the door right now.