Album Review | Self Release | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 4/5 Yvonne Lyon is a hard working, constantly evolving artist, with three completely different releases in the last two years. The latest of these is Songs for Christmas a set of festive songs. Don’t let my tardiness in reviewing due to weight of … Continue reading Yvonne Lyon – Songs for Christmas

Album Review | Glass Wing Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 The cover shot of this album by Illinois-born singer songwriter Kelly Steward suggests that she has at least two sides, those being the ‘tales’ and ‘tributes’ or perhaps the 'deserving’ and the ‘not so’.  It’s an intriguing start, rewarded by what … Continue reading Kelly Steward – Tales and Tributes of the Deserving and Not So

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 5/5 After a brief period of time away from song writing in order to concentrate on a body of work related to her late father, Catherine MacLellan returns with her sixth album to date, a showcase of mature song writing with melodies you … Continue reading Catherine MacLellan – Coyote

Album Review | Linus Entertainment | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 Natalie MacMaster’s status as Canada’s ‘Queen of the Fiddle’ is confirmed once again here with her first album release in eight years.  As expected, there’s some inspired playing on the dozen tracks, not only from Natalie’s own dexterous fingers but also from … Continue reading Natalie MacMaster – Sketches

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 Wayward Jane have so much going for them musically, not least the voice of Sam Gillespie, whose instantly identifiable tones bring a warmth to the songs on the Edinburgh-based quartet’s second album release. “Hills of Mexico” is infused with everything that makes … Continue reading Wayward Jane – Old Train

EP Review | Market Square Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 3/5 Despite Colin Harper's assertion that these songs are merely observations, "Don’t Go to Nashville" comes over as either a tongue-in-cheek or a scathing attack on Music City, reminding us of the fact that there just might be “too many songs and … Continue reading The Legends of Tomorrow – Don't Go to Nashville

EP Review | Comhhairle Nan Eilean Siar | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 3/5 DiLeab: A Legacy is an EP recorded by Willie Campbell. He was commissioned to write a set of songs that were then explored and developed with schools from Barra, Ulst, Harris and Lewis, the Western Isles. Students from The Nicholson … Continue reading Willie Campbell and Band – DiLeab: A Legacy

Album Review | Equinox Records | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 5/5 Fat Suit are, as the name might uncharitably suggest a big band and Waifs & Strays, their forth album is expansive and far reaching with an incredible twenty eight musicians listed on the sleeve. Unlike the outfits namesake however their music is … Continue reading Fat Suit – Waifs and Strays

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 3/5 Tribute albums are fun, more so for the artist recreating the music than for the listener it has to be said. Many classic albums have been carefully recreated in an almost forensic fashion, with bold attempts to get the timbre of the … Continue reading Steve Hogg and Jeff Spencer – Present Nilsson Sings Newman

Album Review | Agogo Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 The award-winning Ghanaian saxophonist and singer Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with an album of feel good songs, each of which is an indication that Highlife is alive and well. His twelfth album release since 1973, 11th Street Sekondi appears to continue from where … Continue reading Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – 11th Street Sekondi