Albums

A long overdue album from two musicians at the top of their game; Bill Kirchen and Austin de Lone rip it up for a hands-across-the-Atlantic collection with their new studio album, Transatlanticana before heading to the UK in March and April on tour.

Windy City is Alison Krauss’s first solo album in 17 years. Bringing new life to old songs can be difficult, but, as per the title, Krauss makes it seem like a breeze on this era-spanning album produced by Nashville veteran Buddy Cannon.

It’s together that Tobias Ben Jakob and Lukas Drinkwater shine brightest, a synergy of two musicians perfectly complimenting each other, bringing to mind the likes of John Martyn and Danny Thompson. An intense and spellbinding performance at The Riverhouse Barn, Walton-on-Thames.

With ‘Making Waves,’ Luke Daniels bridges the gap between traditional music and its contemporary descendants (ft. John Doyle, Mike McGoldrick and Aidan O’Rourke) and emerges with his reputation as an instrumentalist, a composer and an innovator considerably enhanced. An outstanding album.

After the first flush of acclaim, Guy Clark somewhat faded from the mainstream country spotlight, but, as this Dualtone anthology ably demonstrates, his talent never dimmed.

Pangs is a collection of songs that are tighter and more incisive than practically anything else in Alasdair Roberts’ massive back catalogue. Yet another cracking instalment from one of the finest recording artists currently working in the folk idiom.

Chain up the Swings is a fitting tribute to the late the Bard of Dundee by his daughter Alice Marra. She more than ably demonstrates the strength of the material by placing it in a different mainstream musical setting. Michael Marra would have loved it. So should you.

Idle Threat is an all too brief, quietly triumphant comeback for Benjamin Zyakin who has evidently been through the mill. Just getting these songs out there for all to hear will have done Zyakin a world of good, and maybe, in turn, it will inspire others struggling in similar situations.

Copenhagen fulfils the promise of Benjamin Folke Thomas’s live shows and his two earlier albums. It also represents a bold step forward as a song writer and an important progression as a studio artist. It is, without a doubt, his best album yet.

Neil McSweeney’s latest offering ‘A Coat Worth Wearing’ is reminiscent of the romantic poets Wordsworth or Shelley, but like Blake, he has a darker side, a rebellious streak and a decisive need to push for positive change. It is a rare songwriter that can combine these elements over the course of an album or even a career. McSweeney often manages to do it in the space of a single song.

The Shake the Chains cast along with special guest Martin Simpson gave a performance to lift the most sullen heart in these trying times and to point the way to a better future. With a finale which saw everyone singing We Shall Overcome, the evening was a potent reminder that together we could be harmonious and unvanquishable.

Éilís Kennedy’s new solo album ‘Westward’ features the finest songs from all over the British Isles and from across the Atlantic. The connections Éilís enjoys with her collaborators have helped her share those songs in a memorable and truly enjoyable setting. An exceptional album from one of Ireland’s finest voices.