Featured Albums of the Month

Our Song of the Day comes via a new video from The Owl Service for Living By The Water, a great cover of Anne Briggs’s darkly visionary opus which features on their latest album ‘His Pride. No Spear. No Friend’.

For ‘Summer Isles’, Mairearad’s taken what seems like a whole new approach to writing, a wealth of new influences and woven a warm, finely crafted tribute. It’s as enchanting as the islands that inspired it and as full of riches as their history.

In 2, The Gloaming meet and exceed the expectations encouraged by their debut. It’s another enthralling, captivating interpretation of Irish tradition. For some reason it’s all rather emotional – that emotion tends to be joy, frequently mixed with wonder.

From the opening track The Owl Service offer a triumph of execution against expectation if ever there was one, and a challenge that sets the bar for the remainder of the disc. Invigorating, bold, uncompromising and honest! If this is their final release then it’s a fitting one.

Our Song of the Day comes from Jim Causley with ‘Home’ from his new album Forgotten Kingdom which is launched this Wednesday 17th Feb at Kings Place. Special guests on the night include Steve Knightley & Phil Beer of Show of Hands.

It penetrates your conscious on the first listen and unfolds as all its glorious fecundity comes flooding to the surface. A folk-pop-ambient-electronica soup of loveliness.

Steeped in the traditions of his beloved Dumnonia, Forgotten Kingdom presents both an ambitiously broad canvas and a tour de force display of Jim Causley’s range and depth. It succeeds as a result of his commitment to his vision and his choice of contributors, confirming his status as one England’s finest folk singers, musicians and composers.

Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston, two virtuoso musicians, have created a wonderfully balanced album – that rare combination of immediacy and longevity – a class affair from start to finish. Read our review and watch the video premiere for ‘Good Natured Man.’

Old Adam marks the welcome return of Fay Hield to the studio, reaffirming her status as one of Britain’s leading singers across the spectrum of traditional and contemporary folk music. Fay is also our Artist of the Month for February.

Behave the Bravest is an all-encompassing piece of work that draws on Nuala’s significant experience as a writer, performer and collaborator; just as much as it draws on her deeply rooted love of Irish music. It’s set to be her best solo album yet.

With Wolves the Lamb Will Lie balances richly detailed lyrics with accessible arrangements which present M.G. Boulter’s musical vision intact. Anyone looking for instruction in the dark art of writing meaningful and original songs would be well-advised to give this a good, close listen; meanwhile the rest of us will be over here, losing ourselves in Matt’s music.

Young five-piece Cornish band Flats and Sharps release their new album King Of My Mind – a Saturday night record, a going out, indulgent, unrestrained binge of an album that frequently delights.