Featured Albums of the Month

What impresses most about ‘Woven’ is Sarah’s skill as an arranger; an interpreter of song, story and music. In taking these snatches and fragments of traditional song, adding her own intricate and fascinating musical themes and merging them into a narrative on the fleeting but complex nature of human existence, she has created an utterly compelling tapestry.

The Lost Boys is an assured and polished debut album which showcases a wide range of Sam’s undoubted talents as a singer/songwriter gifted with a musical maturity beyond his years. It more than justifies his growing reputation as a performer and deserves to bring him and his band to the attention of a much bigger audience.

With songwriting like this it is hard to believe that it has taken Osborne so long to begin committing her own material to tape. We can only hope she doesn’t stop there.

On Open Airs Kyrre Slind exhibits a gift for composition, a proficiency as an instrumentalist and a capacity for translating the joy he finds in nature into music. All woven together in a treasure trove of musical delights.

On Already Home the Rheingans Sisters not only showcase their diverse repertoire and refined skills but also demonstrate an ability to incorporate threatened or obscure musical forms into their own evolving style making this not only a beautiful and exceptional record but an important one.

We have five copies of ‘Pandemonium’ to giveaway from that exhilarating juggernaut of bombastic, swaggering, buffed, multi-coloured big band folk that is Bellowhead!

The Ultimate Guide To Scottish Folk is a collection that’s worth delving into, but with Mary Ann Kennedy’s notes, there’s also a wealth of insight and information, especially for anyone who’s beginning to realise just what’s on offer from Scottish Folk music.

With their abundant enthusiasm, a mutual empathy bordering on instinct and, above all, a collective passion for the music they play; it’s as a single, cohesive unit that the Andy May Trio shines brightest and About Time is the superb result.

With The Land of Time, Pete Morton has created a fine collection of contemporary folk songs which aren’t afraid to face up to some of the more pressing issues of our time with wit, intelligence and nuance. These are rare qualities too often missing from much music today.

Five years ago Damien O’Kane released his debut solo ‘Summer Hill’. ‘Areas of High Traffic’ is both an extraordinary and brilliant follow-up from an immensely talented musician and singer.

Stick in the Wheel are heading out on the road for a series of dates, kicking off this evening in Bristol. Watch this new live video of them performing the Ewan MacColl song ‘Champion’ live at London’s Green Note.

Real World Records release ‘Fatteliku Live’, Youssou N’Dour and his band’s live set supporting Peter Gabriel on the landmark ‘So’ tour, recorded in Athens in 1987 and making its long-awaited debut as an audio release.