It is rare for an album of predominantly traditional material to sound as fresh and inspired as this, and feel both thrillingly contemporary and utterly timeless. Cunning Folk is making some of the finest acoustic music to come out of this country in years.
Reg Meuross has achieved something rare and important: he has reanimated a valuable piece of history, and he has done so with great sincerity and emotional depth.
‘Anthems to the Wind’ is a strong and irresistible album that finds Merry Hell on top form – at that brilliant moment in a band’s evolution where everyone’s on the same wavelength and the ideas are just tumbling out.
As she embarked on a trip to New Zealand for the inaugural New Zealand Irish Fest this month, Lisa O’Neill took time to talk to Folk Radio about her new album, the background, the influences behind it, and the artists that joined her on the journey.
Siobhan Miller’s ‘Mercury’ builds on the strength of its two thoroughly impressive predecessors, in an album of outstanding quality that delights with its music, and enthrals with its song.
The Furrow Collective are right at the very top of the game when it comes to traditional music. No-one else is as innovative and it is no exaggeration to say that if the future of folk music sounds like Fathoms we are in safe hands indeed.
Through the Wild is an album that is full of emotional peaks and troughs that marks the wholly triumphant return of The Willows, one of the most exciting, fresh and talented bands around today.
Lisa O’Neill’s ‘Heard a Long Gone Song’ is easily one of the greatest surprises I’ve enjoyed for some time; an exceptional album that will make the trad music scene stand up and take notice; if it doesn’t, there’s something far wrong with the trad music scene.
Shooglenifty & Dhun Dhora have realised a beautiful dream and produced an album of exciting, intoxicating, exceptional music. This collaboration takes that Shoogle spark of adventure to new levels.
It’s hard to think of a band that has achieved so much and made such an impact on the trad music scene in their first 3 years, as Glasgow based trio Talisk. ‘Beyond’ is the next thrilling step on that journey as they bring ever more craft and excitement to their music.
On A Problem Of Our Kind Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts have produced an album capable of making you dance, cry and think. And what is more, they do it straight from the off. This album is a masterclass in songwriting.
Hummingbird sees John Smith finally releasing his ‘folk’ album, and it’s his sparest and strongest set yet. Glenn Kimpton talks to John about the song choices and putting your own stamp on a traditional song: “I wanted to sing these songs the way that I hear them.”
