Albums

The natural and organic acoustic space created by The innocence Mission’s ‘My Room in the Trees’ is a very solitary but warm place to be in. Violin, upright bass, baritone and nylon string guitars offer a gentle ambience to soak up Karen McCullough’s dreamy voice.

Chris Bathgate’s latest release is a record of great joy and pain which neatly couples itself with Bathgate’s cathartic recording process. He has marked himself as an adept lyricist and musician, constructing an alt-country affair tumultuous passion and despair in equal measure, and yet by the end we’re convinced of a little light relief and the thawing of this Salt Year.

Eliza Carthy’s latest release, Neptune, takes her to the pinnacle of a tremendous career, a bright and colourful album that will appeal to long-time fans and virgin entrants to the ongoing Waterson/Carthy legacy!

Galley Beggar are a six piece folk rock band obssessed with the old sound from the likes of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Nick Drake, Jethro Tull, Fotheringay, Bert Jansch and Pentangle. Their debut album Reformation House is a step forward from that magical period of folk music history.

The Gentle Good is the moniker of Gareth Bonello who hails from Cardiff. His latest album ‘Tethered for the Storm’ is an exceptional album that harkens back to the 60’s folk revival and is reminiscent of the likes of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch.

I Draw Slow’s new album ‘Redhill’ is, without doubt, their best release to date. This original Irish five-piece band have raised the stakes and have come out on top form. Their original musicianship and songs make them stand out from the rest. A very bright future ahead!

Jonathan Day’s ‘Carved in Bone’ is definately in the exceptional league and sets a very high standard that should bring him the much deserved wider recognistion across the folk circuit. This is a great album to get lost within.

While on first appearances an ambitious album, perhaps uncertain of what it wants to be, it succeeds in displaying an expression of sound and an intricacy with detail that shows deft skill in experimentation, something more than making up for moments that don’t quite gel.

Despite the choice of instrument on Ukulele Songs it is Eddie Vedder’s songs and sonorous voice that dominate your attention as well as some great duets with Glen Hansard and Cat Power.

Jo Bywater hails from Yorkshire, her songs expose her empathy with bluesy folk-tunes and portray the singer as a mature artist who knows her flaws and virtues yet knows how to play to the gallery.

There is a gentle subtlety about Snorri Helgason’s performances, both in his singing and his playing. It also captures some of that classic essence that calls to mind the likes of Neil Young and Harry Nilsson, both of whom he has been compared to. He is currently recording his sophomore solo album with Icelandic indie-pop great Sindri Már Sigfússon (Seabear, Sin Fang) manning the consoles.

Read Judith’s live Cologne review of The Tallest Man on Earth: The set features intense and assertive moments as much as reserved and tender ones, always reassuring the spectator that they are part of a wonderful evening that will stick with them.