Album Review | Self Release | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 5/5 With the twin voices of Kilkenny’s Emlyn Holden and Dubliner Laura Hand, Southern Fold are a swaggering alt folk, dark country band. Right from the start on “Hold Back The Sun” it is the interplay between Emlyn and Laura’s voices that grabs … Continue reading The Southern Fold – Bible Fear

Album Review | Hazellville Music | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 4/5 Send My Soul is Lorraine Jordan’s fifth album. Drawing on Irish family and a welsh upbringing, Lorraine’s music is Celtic Soul with contemporary influences. “The Secret To Everything” and the wonderful “Heavenly Voices” feature Jordan’s fine voice, recalling the soulful Sally Barker. … Continue reading Lorraine Jordan – Send My Soul

Album Review | Poppabo Music |Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 4/5 I first heard the strikingly titled Freebo on a release by Alice Howe. The colourful and rich finger-picked guitar that runs through this album connects him and Alice. His background in 70s big league Bass playing, means the material has a bounce, spring … Continue reading Freebo – If Not Now When

Album Review | Rounder Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 Having formed in Boston just over ten years ago, the now Nashville-based trio Della Mae continues to deliver bold and confident performances with their latest album Headlight, their fourth full-length album release and first for five years.  If the cover illustration depicts … Continue reading Della Mae – Headlight

Album Review | Glitterbeat Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 Portuguese Fado is one of the most distinctive styles of singing in the world today, loaded with passion, grace and fire.  I was a good two and a half songs into this album before it occurred to me that something was missing, … Continue reading Lina_ Raül Refree – Lina_ Raül Refree

Album Review | Fiddlehead Records | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 5/5 Formed in 2014 by Berklee College of Music students Adam Iredale-Gray, Elise Boeur and Mairi Chaimbeul, Aerialists explore a broad range of influences on this, their second full-length album. Dear Sienna covers a lot of ground not only in its diverse influences … Continue reading Aerialists – Dear Sienna

Album Review | Resofone Recordings | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 Doncaster’s favourite bluesman Frank Carline returns with ten songs on the first of two proposed acoustic albums, each recorded in the attic studio of neighbour, producer and good pal John Crisp.  The so-called ‘one take’ recordings are by definition off the floor … Continue reading Frank Carline – Black Crow Blues

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 5/5 The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow is a majestic five piece, swollen here by some guests and a rock solid rhythm section. Musically and vocally they are like one of those all you can eat buffets, you have an overloaded plate balanced on your … Continue reading The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow – Band Together

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Marc Higgins | Stars: 4/5 Ewan MacColl’s Ballads and Blues Club, based in London, instigated what they called “the policy”, meaning you sang the songs you were physically and geographically connected to. There is an argument that says that this belief helped start the UK revival and … Continue reading 3hattrio – Live At Zion

Album Review | Self Release | Review by Allan Wilkinson | Stars: 4/5 An extraordinary take on both traditional and contemporary folk song, performed by utilising voices and percussion, courtesy of Carli Jefferson and Clair Le Couteur, who put aside standard instrumentation in favour of a more immediate and accessible feel. So, no strings, keys, … Continue reading Lunatraktors – This is Broken Folk