Albums

Gnoss’s ‘Stretching Skyward’ is an exciting and invigorating album. Alongside an intoxicating fusion of instruments, there is a well-earned quiet confidence on show, with a soft, subtle touch of Americana filtering through the band’s more traditional Scottish sound; it’s an innovative, accomplished meld.

It’s hard to define the feelings that flow from ther’s ‘a horrid whisper echoes in a palace of endless joy’ – there’s despondency and grief but also comfort as Jones ends: “There’s a whisper in my ear/ It only speaks to me of fear/ But I won’t pay it no mind”.

Maxine Funke’s output over the last few years has been consistently outstanding, and River Said shows her at her best and at her most varied. These are songs that gently demand attention, and longer compositions that are profound and moving and mysterious all at once.

Ernest Bergez transforms Sourdure into the four-piece Sourdurent with the release of L’herbe de détourne – a bold and deeply rewarding venture.

There is something inherently uplifting about Sam Sweeney’s fiddle playing – it soothes, replenishes, and heartens the soul. Add in Campbell’s electric guitar, and ‘Shapes’ proves a stunning listening experience – fiddle and electric guitar have rarely sounded so breath-taking.

A brave melting pot of genres, Cirrus offers deep meditative epics and breezy folk under one roof. Angus McOg is determined to forge their own path, and it’s a pleasant journey to accompany them on.

Withered Hand’s ‘How To Love’ is a remarkable album of human endurance that finds its thrills in the simple pleasures of life and living it as best you can. Dan Willson’s comeback is a thing of triumph and feel-good wonder.

From carefully observed vignettes to widescreen sonic explorations, Scott William Urquhart & Constant Follower’s ‘Even Days Dissolve’ is an immensely rewarding, sensual listen, ripe with understated strength. 

Another fine offering from Bongo Joe Records – Amazigh Freedom Rock 1973-1983, is a significant release, bringing the joyous and vibrant fusion of Les Abranis’ “rockabyle”, to a wider audience.

An acoustic reincarnation of Scott Matthews’ 2020 album New Skin, Restless Lullabies is a whole different listening experience, more intimate, but, note for note, every bit its equal.

Reflections On The Glass Age, an acoustic reworking of Dan Whitehouse’s acclaimed 2022 album, is a completely different listening experience, one to be embraced in calm and solitude and a glowing illustration of his versatility as a musician to bend songs to different purposes.

Released today on the excellent Catalan Record Label Microscopi is ‘Substrat’, the new album by Guillem Ballaz. A work based on old Catalan square tambourine songs -largely unpublished- and one of Catalonia’s greatest unknown cultural riches.