For yet another inexplicable reason, I completely missed Siobhan Miller's 2022 album Bloom - until now. Her previous outing, 2020's All Is Not Forgotten, had been a low-key, intimate acoustic work, and Bloom, with its bright sky blue cover and a return to the sound feel almost like a counterargument to its predecessor. I absolutely … Continue reading Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain
Tag: contemporary folk music
Edey & Ainslie’s “Diad” is a joyful dialogue
Ross Ainslie, as you probably know already, is an astonishing musician and composer (and the nicest of people, too), and you may also know the merry hyperactivity and virtuoso guitar and melodeon playing of Tim Edey. They have played together quite a bit lately and I'm happy that some of their simply amazing live stuff … Continue reading Edey & Ainslie’s “Diad” is a joyful dialogue
Honey and the Bear’s “Away Beyond the Fret” feels like springtime :)
I utterly enjoyed the Suffolk folkies and singer-songwriters Lucy and Jon Hart's, aka Honey and the Bear, previous outing, their second album Journey Through the Roke (2021, my review can be read here). It was my first encounter with them and I was now very happy to press play on their new release. Away Beyond … Continue reading Honey and the Bear’s “Away Beyond the Fret” feels like springtime 🙂
Tim Edey’s Xmas is simply lovely (even if it’s not always all that Celtic)
I don't know what I really expected from the instrumental wizard Tim Edey's Christmas album - but it sure wasn't what I got, and that is just great! Because when it's Tim Edey's A Celtic Christmas and because there's Ross Ainslie, Donald Shaw and Steve Cooney, one would probably think of classic seasonal tunes played … Continue reading Tim Edey’s Xmas is simply lovely (even if it’s not always all that Celtic)
Can’t help it: the silent jingle faithful snow season is here, and so is the music
...and so it is (almost) Xmas - but the horrific war not too far from our doorstep has been going on for almost two years now - maybe not enough people want it to be over? Let's just say that with that nightmare, and a few other tragedies around the world, I'm finding it extraordinarily … Continue reading Can’t help it: the silent jingle faithful snow season is here, and so is the music
RURA: Dusk Moon
Dusk Moon was released in March 2023; this review was written eight months later due to many long periods of non-activity in this blog in 2023, caused by personal circumstances. It was all of five years between In Praise of Home and Dusk Moon. During that period, RURA released a live album and a tribute … Continue reading RURA: Dusk Moon
Réalta: Thing of the Earth
It's been all of seven years since Ireland's Réalta released their second album, the very good Clear Skies, in 2016. I enjoyed that one a lot and later on, as the years passed, wondered if that would be all from this fine band. Thankfully, it was not, and even the lineup is still almost the … Continue reading Réalta: Thing of the Earth
Genticorum: Au coeur de l’aube
The magnificent Quebec trio of Yann Falquet, Pascal Gemme and Nicholas Williams (who replaced Alexandre de Grosbois-Garand a while back) have come up with an album that rocketed into the #1 position in my Genticorum albums ranking.Not only does Au coeur de l'aube (At dawn) have beautiful cover art, the music itself is warm and … Continue reading Genticorum: Au coeur de l’aube
The Consequences: When You Weren’t Looking
Ah, sorry for the medium long pause, again. This time it was because of - suprise! - the return of Covid, most likely courtesy of the EG.5 variant that wrecked 3,5 weeks of my life... I was actually working from home almost all that time but I was not at all well, far from it. … Continue reading The Consequences: When You Weren’t Looking
Harp + Guitar = all you need: Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy’s “Élan”
Yet another "better late" review; this album was released three months before this writing. I believe "élan" is French for spirit, zest, joy; it's one of those words that defy an exact translation. But, luckily, music needs to translating, human or machine, as it itself can open the essence of the word. When harpist Rachel … Continue reading Harp + Guitar = all you need: Rachel Hair & Ron Jappy’s “Élan”
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