Woodlands Bäckafall’s “Traditional Colours”: joyful and borderless northern folk

I feel almost silly, having to write another "oh this album makes me so happy!" review only a few days after I went joyfully bananas over Ampouailh's latest release. But here we go... Let's begin by noting that Woodlands and Bäckafall are two separate entities that created this album as a unit. Woodlands Duo: Kristina … Continue reading Woodlands Bäckafall’s “Traditional Colours”: joyful and borderless northern folk

Corrina Hewat’s “Song of Oak and Ivy”: mesmerizing and beautiful

Corrina Hewat is in the same master's league with other Scottish harpists like Catriona McKay, Ailie Robertson and Rachel Newton, but she hasn't released her own music - at least in recorded form - in ages. But it's 2025 and here she is now, with music that has completely surprised and enchanted me. What an … Continue reading Corrina Hewat’s “Song of Oak and Ivy”: mesmerizing and beautiful

Amazing music with and without words: Siobhan Miller; Catrin Finch & Aoife Ní Bhríain

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

Album Review / Rachel Newton: To The Awe

If Adenine aka Ailie Robertson's new trance-like solo harp + electronics album reflects the surreal mood of Anno Covid 2020, then so, in a very different way, does Rachel Newton's new outing. With vocals recorded in Rachel's bedroom wardrobe (she mentions this very fact on the album's Bandcamp page) and the musicians playing their parts … Continue reading Album Review / Rachel Newton: To The Awe