Tag: British folk music

The Wilderness Yet: What Holds The World Together

This is a review of a fairly recent but not brand new album; this was released in July, 2022 This is my first contact with The Wilderness Yet and I was immediately taken with the band's name and the beautiful album cover that features a fox, my spirit animal (no cultural appropriation here, ancient Finns … Continue reading The Wilderness Yet: What Holds The World Together →

Emily Portman & Rob Harbron: Time Was Away

I have absolutely adored Emily Portman's previous albums, Hatchling (2012) and Coracle (2015). They presented a very original artist whose outwardly fragile voice contains immense strength and whose music integrates traditional British folk elements into a unique, dreamlike soundscape, with lyrics to match. I totally loved them both and I am very happy to say … Continue reading Emily Portman & Rob Harbron: Time Was Away →

Album Review / Seth Lakeman: Make Your Mark

The big guy of British folk released a new album late in 2021 and I got to listening to it this week. And to take this one thing off the table right away: I think the album cover is just ****ing great. That axe-hewn face in huge closeup in stark monochrome - you instantly know … Continue reading Album Review / Seth Lakeman: Make Your Mark →

Album Review / Honey and the Bear: Journey Through The Roke

The English duo of Lucy and Jon Hart, collectively known as Honey and the Bear, came to my knowledge with this, their second album, released this spring. It was one of those happy surprises when an artificial intelligence (I can't remember which) recommended an artist to and actually hit the sweet spot. Journey Through The … Continue reading Album Review / Honey and the Bear: Journey Through The Roke →

Album Review / TEYR: Estren

Ah but here's a nice one! And it's from a band about to really break in the Celtic scene: some of you may already know them but others may not have heard about them too much yet. I'm betting you will, in no time. TEYR's sites tell us the band comes from the London folk … Continue reading Album Review / TEYR: Estren →

Album Review / Tanya Brittain: Hireth

Here we are, in 2021, and the world seems stuck in the same chaos it was last year. But at least Celtic music holds the fort and flies the flag of better things! The Changing Room is a Cornish folk act I’ve enjoyed a lot. Tanya Brittain is 50 % of that brill duo and … Continue reading Album Review / Tanya Brittain: Hireth →

Album Review / Sam Sweeney: Unearth Repeat

Wood. Living, rough, hewn, shaped into houses, burned for warmth we need. People and their stories; villages and towns and other places they live in. People whose language I don’t always speak but we understand each other anyway. Those are the feelings and mental images I get from British fiddler Sam Sweeney’s new album Unearth … Continue reading Album Review / Sam Sweeney: Unearth Repeat →

Xmas Album Review / Kate Rusby: Holly Head

Kate Rusby must be THE Christmas fan in the entire British-Scottish-Irish folk scene. This is her third seasonal album, and she’s been busy with them, too: The Frost Is All Over came in 2015, Angels And Men in 2017 and now this. Looking forward to 2021 already 😉 Or perhaps she’s been doing a Christmas … Continue reading Xmas Album Review / Kate Rusby: Holly Head →

Quick Take Album Review / Jim Moray: The Outlander

The brilliant Jim Moray has injected fresh blood and ideas into English folk for over a decade now, but his new album The Outlander is a deliberate excursion to a batch of Ye Olde Songs - even the ancient John Barleycorn makes an appearance - with acoustic arrangements that are mostly fairly old school but … Continue reading Quick Take Album Review / Jim Moray: The Outlander →