Combining Hannah Peel with Paraorchesta is one of those feats of attraction that cannot be denied, and The Unfolding, the fruits of their labour, is a masterpiece that defies genres. Peel began her career as something of a folk artist, although…
We all know the old saying “never judge a book by its cover” but does the same extend to albums? A lot of us play music these days through streaming services and probably don’t pay too much attention to album…
Jerry Leger knows how to write a song, and the 11 on Nothing Pressing clearly illustrate a man with a sense of humor, a sense of taste and a sense of just how weird the last two years have been. Though recorded…
Oracular UK folksters, I Said Yes, have returned. Their all-new single, ‘Virginia’, is an earnest love song that builds up its tensities with percolative guitar and textured production. It all leads into a fabulous crescendo, replete with subtle horns, synth,…
2022 promises to bring a host of new beginnings as the world emerges from two years under the pandemic’s thumb. The world is a very different place from the one that was present last time Alynda Segarra’s band Hurray for…
In the same way that Joni Mitchell reflected the California vibe on Blue, Lia Ices mirrors a similar consciousness on Family Album 50-some years farther down the road. Her 2014 album, Ices, marched to a synthetic beat with layered electronics and loops. Having moved…
Jessica Smucker beautifully captures feelings of isolation on the delicately crafted tune, ‘Stones to Throw’. A folk-pop ballad, the Lancaster artist flexes her muscles as a singer-songwriter with music that feels like it’s just enough. Production is never overbearing; if…
It’s been more than two years since Megan Henderson wrote the music for her debut album – Pilgrim Souls – and I’m pleased to report that it’s been worth the wait. The inspiration comes from the dreamlike imagined landscapes of…
In August last year, Josienne Clarke emerged from the fog that she had lived in for over a decade. In her fight to be recognised for work that she’d written, she’d been labelled a troublemaker. Instead of allowing this to…
You have to play the hand you’re dealt, and Simone Felice has played his cards despite a life that hasn’t always been the way he’d have wanted it, which is what makes All The Bright Coins so fascinating. Having spent the last…