I had never heard of Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe before and no wonder: she is a young American fiddler whose first album, The Coast Road, a collaboration with guitarist Daniel Quayle, was only recently released. But I will be very much surprised if I will not hear of her much more in the future, since The Coast … Continue reading Elizabeth Davidson-Blythe & Daniel Quayle: The Coast Road
Tag: album review
Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill: One Day – November Woods
Oh but this is a fun one! Pianist Ryan Molloy and fiddler Feargal Scahill recorded - and partly wrote! - this album during one November day in 2019! Ryan writes on Bandcamp: ”We sat in Fergal & Ruth’s living room and recorded the music on this album, pushing the boundaries of our friendly frolics amidst … Continue reading Ryan Molloy & Fergal Scahill: One Day – November Woods
FARA: Energy Islands
It's a very sunny and not too cold November’s day in Finland and I have just been for a walk outside in the sunshine, listening for the second time to the new FARA album, Energy Islands. Me and my wife have been lucky to have witnessed the band live at least a couple of times … Continue reading FARA: Energy Islands
Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Master fiddlers are one of my favorite things in this world and Natalie MacMaster 🇨🇦 is one of the greatest. I love the energy in her playing; so much light and joy there. Her 2019 album Sketches was just the right soundtrack for a leisurly walk in the sunny and warm Finnish Saturday. I've never … Continue reading Listening Diary for June 6-12, 2022: Natalie MacMaster, Mishra, James Harper, the olllam, Eabhal
Listening diary for May 23-29, 2022
If anything here seems interesting, go to your streaming service and try it out. And if you really, really like it, go to the artist’s web site or Bandcamp or iTunes or Google Play or Amazon or wherever and buy it in your preferred format - musicians need food too 😉 The Halton Quartet: Based … Continue reading Listening diary for May 23-29, 2022
Pádraig Rynne special
I did some catching up on the brilliant Irish concertina wiz and composer, Pádraig Rynne and his output. His 2019 album, Conscious, was one of the best releases that year, a gem of Celtic Fusion, neofolk, whatever you want to call modern folk music that’s not exactly trad. I love that album to bits. That … Continue reading Pádraig Rynne special
Rory Matheson & Graham Rorie: We Have Won The Land
This one really made my day, I’m listening to it for a second time now. The guys from Orkney have put out an album full of great playing, tunes and lots of emotion and also variation - never a dull moment here. It’s one of the albums that stylewise rides on both trad and neofolk … Continue reading Rory Matheson & Graham Rorie: We Have Won The Land
Hò-rò: New Moon
Oh hell yes. I’ve been a fan since their first album and this, their third one, does not let me down. Great groovin’ ”go dancing and clap a lot” tunes (Spot On, Kaylin’s) and quieter stuff (Little Bird) in about equal mesaure which makes for a perfect listening experience. Their playing is faultless yet loose … Continue reading Hò-rò: New Moon
Aoife Doyle: Inifinitely Clear
Not Celtic and not folk either, but hey, the Irish singer-songwriter’s third album just made me feel good when taking a walk in the nice spring air yesterday. The album features blue-eyed Irish soul, singer-songwriter stuff, folksier tunes and some laid back jazz colors. Her singing voice is soft and sensitive rather than Aretha-style strong … Continue reading Aoife Doyle: Inifinitely Clear
Quick Take album reviews: The Askew Sisters, MacDonald&Gamauf
The Askew Sisters continue their ”low-key but very intense” forays into the more shady forests of English folk. Enclosure is worthy of its name: a cosmos of it own, inhabited by songs mostly about various injustices, the minimal-yet-strangely-rich arrangements and the strong vocal performances by the sisters. As on their earlier albums, the overall mood … Continue reading Quick Take album reviews: The Askew Sisters, MacDonald&Gamauf