Albums

“I’m grinning from ear to ear at the sheer exuberance of what I’m hearing and seeing…funked up, punked up, pumped up and blissed out” – Simon takes in the Treacherous Orchestra live.

‘Acoustic Dust’ is a body of work, bristling with the gracefulness, rawness is replaced with warmth which includes a mellow cover of Sandy Denny’s ‘Bushes and Briars’.

Cheltenham-based trio The Hawthornes make an impression on Mike who reviews their DIY debut EP – songs based around themes of relationships, insecurity and being mixed up.

Fraser Anderson has followed his own musical path for 20 years and Little Glass Box almost slipped through the net. Thankfully German label Membran stepped in and rescued a classic.

Burn & Glow is a great introduction to the repertoire of Amy Goddard, one on which she isn’t afraid to write about contemporary social justice concerns along with more personal matters.

Kristina Jung’s latest EP has an eerie appeal all of its own that, rather than being explained by geography, is simply the result of a wonderful voice and some timeless songwriting.

With an impressive array of Canadian guest artists including Ron Sexsmith and a voice that can straddle Harris and Welch with ease, Suzie Ungerleider remains, as always, an engaging listen.

Triumvirate is a lyrically challenging album that has been recorded in such a way to sound lush at times but yet still retains a minimalist sound, one that perfectly suits Rogai’s serene vocals.

Luke Daniels has described What’s Here What’s Gone as the sound of him building songs from the ground up. Firm foundations in his musical roots create an album of towering scale.

Gareth and Annie’s debut EP is a statement of intent, a laying of cards on the table. It says ‘this is who we are, this is where we’re going’. Honest and open, it invites you to take what you will from it.

Paul headed to London’s Borderline this week to catch an amazing line-up: The legendary Wizz Jones with Case Hardin and Jason McNiff and the Lone Malones. What a night!

Despite the number of funerals that went into the creation of this album Christine Albert offers a sense of peace, acceptance and hope, greatly helped by her warm honey vocals.