Honest, in-depth album reviews by KLOF Mag – championing and curating intelligent, uncompromising voices in contemporary and experimental music since 2004.
Albums
by Mike Davies
In her notes on the album, Thea writes that listening back to the old songs was like being haunted by the ghosts of her past. Rather than exorcise them, she’s given them new life while continuing to graffiti the wall of the music industry with music that matters, music with a heart and a mind rather than a corporate game plan. Long may she be “the girl that went and …
22 Strings finds Seckou Keita at the top of his game in a never less than compelling collection which draws together many threads: musings on identity, place, history, of music viewed through the lenses of past and present. An absorbing document of his inner search for answers to some of the essential questions of existence, filtered through his deep respect for tradition while facing the future with an irrepressible positivity.
by Mike Davies
What started as a duo performance with long-term musical partner James Ross has grown to larger stages including Celtic Connections. Star guests include Rhiannon Giddens, Anna Massie, Heidi Talbot, Cathal McConnell and many more. That’s a big parlour!
by Mike Davies
Luke Jackson’s latest album ‘This Family Tree’ is short but perfectly formed, sharply and sympathetically observed and emotionally involving. Further evidence that Jackson is shaping up to become one of the enduring major figures in the world of contemporary folk.
With a new line up including Dan Walsh, Paloma, Joe and Tom have pushed the UFQ to new heights and The Escape offers exactly that with myriad musical highlights and global grooves to get lost in for months. This is the band at their brilliant best so make sure you catch them live on their current tour.
The Spyglass & The Herringbone gathers up all of Jackie Oates promise to date, dusts it down and adds polish to present a sparkling jewel of a folk record. It’s a rare and most refined thing of gift of great beauty and as good a record as you could rightly hope for, that’s all yours for the small price of admission.
by David Kidman
On Annabelle Chvostek’s latest release ‘Be The Media’ she’s gone back to her indie roots. She may have described her earlier album Resilience as “a big complicated hug”, due to its warm enveloping nature, but ‘Be The Media’, despite initial appearances of spiky acerbity, turns out to be just as enveloping in its own way.
It’s two years since Manx trio Barrule released their debut album with the declared intention of bringing the music of the Isle of Man to everyone’s attention. Their follow-up, Manannan’s Cloak, is more varied and even more energetic and appealing than the first. If Barrule is yet to enter your musical life, open the door right now.
by KLOF
This year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards was one of the best there’s been. We were there on the night taking in the celebrations, one which was fun, emotional and entertaining. Proof that the folk scene is very much in good health.
Block booking Dublin’s prestigious Vicar Street for a month of concerts was a bold move, but one that has paid off handsomely for Paul Brady, with a little help from his friends. You can hear it for yourself on The Vicar St. Sessions Vol. 1 which is released this month via Proper Records. Read our review here.
by David Kidman
What a week it is for The Young’uns having just picked up the BBC Folk Award for Best Group they launch their new album ‘Another Man’s Ground’ this week at The Sage Gateshead. They’ve been on quite a journey since their humble beginnings, one that continues to grow and develop.