rescuing musical virtue in distress.
If this is the modern face of folk music, and I'm sure it is, then I'm on board. Blending traditional folk and singer-songwriter vibes with something more indie, more polished, Stand Aside is a cool mix of understatement and accessibility, grace and groove. Essentially a voice and guitar, there is a richness that comes from... Continue Reading →
If folk music is about depth and delicacy and indie music excels at accessibility and infectiousness, then it is safe to say that I Don't Want To Stay, the debut release from Jeremy Engel, walks a perfect line between the two camps. The folk vibes are perfect for such a sensitive song. On the surface,... Continue Reading →
We may live in a world where artists seem to think only as far as the next release, hopping from one event to the next, where the single is king and music seems fleeting and transient, but there are still some who think in more overarching terms. Byorn Gold is one of those people. His latest release,... Continue Reading →
Based around understated folk guitars, gentle vocals and just the merest hint of more ambient and indie sonics to help create a wonderfully fluid platform behind them, Shining Out is a master class in getting to the very essence of a song. There are songs full of delicacy and grace, such as the carefully crafted... Continue Reading →
It is fair to say that the word "eclectic" and the name Dick Aven belong in the same sentence. In fact, one should never be allowed to leave the house without the other close by and this fantastic album proves my case beyond any doubt. It also makes another important point. Eclectic isn't the same... Continue Reading →
Jeff Engholm is known for a variety of reasons. He is an aclaimed jazz and rock bassist, is known for recreating the iconic sonic majesty of classic bands and their most famous albums from The Eagles to The Beatles to Wings and more besides. He can be found playing with The Collective Unconcious and he... Continue Reading →
There is plenty to be found on this tasteful album from Paul Nourigat that echoes the sound of the classic American songbook and the golden age of the singer-songwriter. Hints of the poetic philosophies that sat at the heart of the songs of James Taylor or the folk fusions of people like Jackson Browne are... Continue Reading →
Greg Smith has charmed us with deft and delicate singles for a while now, so a full-length album from him is the perfect way to spend more time appreciating his skills. And Redemption Road is a very skillful offering indeed. He cuts his songs from just the right amount of sonic material, lush acoustic guitars... Continue Reading →
Blending the sonic traits of the folk troubadour, the accessibility of the acoustic pop perpetrator and the authenticity of the singer-songwriter, N/SH makes music that is both perfect for today but which echoes with the sounds of the past too. It is a sound that is folk driven but like the music of so many... Continue Reading →
There are probably few people who have remained unaffected by the Lockdown and the chaos that it ushered in. None more so than TV Smith who had to abandon a run of fifty or so gigs across Germany in some of the biggest venues of his career to date. So what do you do when... Continue Reading →
I guess that with the popularity of comic book heroes these days it wasn't going to be long before a figure such as Covidman found its way into the current zeitgeist. Batman is there to battle Gotham City’s underworld and Captain America the enemies of that nation, so why not an anti-pandemic superhero to fight... Continue Reading →
If Charlotte Grayson's wonderfully reflective and drifting cover of The Pretenders' 2000 Miles was the perfect song to round last year off, Coffee is the perfect high and perky note with which to start the new one. A return to her trademark, upbeat acoustic pop, its infectious groove and positive vibe belies the message that... Continue Reading →
Not so long ago the haunting sound of I Want More by Silverback Colony found its way to me, a dark and drifting, innovative and imploring musical slice, unexpected and brilliant. Gabriel Douglas, the captain of that particular sonic ship, returns, again aided and abetted by Kai Brewster, for a full album under his own... Continue Reading →
Guitars and harmonicas have to be the most natural of sonic travelling companions, so much so that a whole series of genres, from blues to country to rock and roll, have used it as a springboard to make sweet music and so grab the attention of the music masses. And as Rory D’Lasnow fires off... Continue Reading →
It’s been a while since any new music from George Wilding popped up on the radar. That might be due to my tardy ways, or possibly his, let’s just say that its been that sort of a year and leave it at that. You Do You gets to the heart of what George is really... Continue Reading →
You could say that the job of a storyteller, a real storyteller, whether they are an author, musician, poet, artist, whatever, is to soak up life, act as a sponge, a repository for narratives and tales, events and anecdotes, to travel the world really getting to the heart of the human experience. How can your... Continue Reading →
What’s this? A dulcet and delicate slice of considered acoustic pop from Mr McD? Tish. Tish. Tish. Tish. Boom! Ahh..there it is and were off down a more punky-acoustic-frantic-folky-rant-a-thon…and why not? He does it so well. But even when he is letting off steam in such a raw and raucous fashion, the music is never... Continue Reading →
We know that JD Days has the ability to wander all over the sonic spectrum, taking in all manner of influences and hopping between numerous musical genres, from folky acoustica to indie groovers to rap-infused dance-pop. But I feel that in his heart he is an old-school acoustic balladeer, a hopeless romantic who loves nothing... Continue Reading →
Bacitracin is one of those raggedy records which sits in that odd and wonderful world of the modern troubadour. Purchla is a story-teller, someone who deals with messages and missions, passion and poignancy, who understands the power of emotion and heart-string tugging balladry. Too many people, especially, in the modern age of TV wannabes, style... Continue Reading →
This latest slice of sonic seduction from Jim Chorley lands as a timely reminder of the very nature of the human condition. People need people. Simple. We need them to lean on and to laugh with, they energise us and revive us, they help us forget our problems and, if needs be, share some of... Continue Reading →
There has always been a social and political undercurrent to My Politic’s songs. Stories as songs, narratives about family and traditions, the working man, tales of the home, the hearth, of hope and reflection and the American spirit all wound into gentle mythologies and relatable histories. But something has changed for My Politic since 2017’s... Continue Reading →
Arriving with perfect timing, this latest musical missive from Laslow Simplex, might seem like a simple song but its straightforward and fairly unsophisticated sonic lines, and I mean that in the nicest possible of ways, underplay the poignancy and potency of the message that it carries. Many people have made music of late ranting against... Continue Reading →
In response to the awful events in Beirut you have released a song called “Beirut Fire”. Why did you feel the need to respond to those events and do you think that artists should make more of the platform they have to highlight world events and social issues? Tatiana: I respond to events in general... Continue Reading →
When you look at the singer-songwriter, perhaps the purest form of modern music, it is easy to think that nothing has really changed over the 50 or so years since its late 60’s/early 70’s boom. But that is a fairly short-sighted way to view things. Okay, the genre, if indeed it can actually be seen... Continue Reading →
Some might say that it is a bit early to start thinking about Christmas, but perhaps with the way that this year has gone it is only natural to want to have something to look forward to. And anyway, Christmas With You is about more than just Christmas, it is about nothing less than love.... Continue Reading →
The very thing that makes singer-songwriters often all sound the same is actually the thing that sets them apart. In recent years the middle ground between the mainstream and the more cultish underground scenes has been awash with skinny-jeanned, gap-year troubadours, usually in wide-brimmed hats, trying to impart their wisdom on the listener and seduce... Continue Reading →
With a name such as The Castlebuilder it perhaps comes as no surprise that the message here is one of unity. Drawing on the experiences of a life lived in three countries and also the world that passes by his current Twin Cities window, this debut single is both a wonderfully simple and powerfully poignant... Continue Reading →
Music is at its best when it becomes one with its subject matter, when it evokes the very essence of the thing it I trying to describe. To do so the sonic platform being built should reflect and embrace the lyrics it supports or in the case of purely instrumental music, such as this, it... Continue Reading →
Any musician worth their salt will tell you that what they do has no final destination, that albums and gigs are just way-markers, that the whole thing is a continual journey, a long learning curve with no finish line, not one that actually means anything at least. And right from the off Brazil sounds like... Continue Reading →
In a world where roots music seems to be going through a watering down process to try and make it seem “cool” to the “kids,” where words like alt-, anti- and post- get attached to generic labels which have done the job just fine for years, Sam Lewis is like a breath of fresh air.... Continue Reading →