Bob Hillman purposefully approached the musical development of his latest tune with a bit of an offbeat step. Of ‘I Often Dream of Candlelight (Maria)’, the singer-songwriter recants, “The song’s unusual for me because the verse melody doesn’t move much, and also…
Rooted in bayou blues, homespun rock, and reflective folk, Doc Straw & the Scarecrows produce blue collar southern rock and Americana that’s as engaging as it is down-to-earth, and as heart-rending as it is thought-inducing. Their latest, ‘Get On By’,…
2020 has been unpredictable, to say the very least. Shawna Virago’s ‘Heaven Sent Delinquent’ bares a stark message of hope for these burdened times, and her new electric mix ups the octane some. A critique of the oppressive and proud,…
Let’s just be honest straight out of the gates, this is an amazing record. Intimate and hypnotic, Kate Stables has not only mined for gold, but has found her fortune. Off Off On is the fourth record she has recorded…
“My songs knew I was getting divorced before I did”- Laura Veirs When Laura Veirs started putting pen to paper and forming the ideas behind what would form My Echo, her 11th studio album, she realised that her 19-year marriage…
On her third solo LP, Juanita Stein emerges from the soundscapes of her previous works and again joins musical forces with her brother Joel, her bandmate from Howling Bells. The new record brings ten personal songs, woven out of snapshots from…
Emmy The Great’s new record isn’t, it must be said, all that new. The story begins back in September 2017, when Emma-Lee Moss travelled from her home in New York to her birth city of Hong Kong. “I was planning…
Mary Lattimore is well-known for her collaborative works, including recently-acclaimed albums with artists such as Meg Blair and Mac McCaughan. She’s also released two solo albums of contemplative and solemn harp music, the last one being 2018’s stunning Hundreds of…
Listening to Tempesst’s debut LP is like traveling by cool old van through the inner surreal landscapes, passing by cosmic canyons, giant flowers, sunsets on the beach, and mushroom clouds. There a lot going on around and you don’t know…
When the Drive-By Truckers kept us waiting three years for January’s The Unraveling, it was the longest gap yet between albums in their 20-plus year career. Now, just nine months later, they’re back with The New OK. This surprise new…
Three years after its initial release, She Owl’s Drifters EP continues to bewitch. And during these strange times one song in particular has taken on a new meaning – ‘Glass’ was written about isolation and the craving for human touch.…
After years of sonic adventure and leftfield swerves, Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 career highpoint Carrie & Lowell saw the restless songwriter drop anchor in the wake of his mother’s death. It’s barely-there arrangements cradled Stevens’ bleak grief with remarkably life-affirming results. I’m…
Sing Leaf may have the most appealing album name of the year. Earth in 2020 is a volatile and fragile place, perched precariously on the edge of disaster. Not here, Not Earth? That sounds like a welcome respite. So too…
Mark Willenborg is unvarnished country, through and through. Cut from the same cloth as greats like George Strait and Waylon Jennings, fans of classic country will feel right at home with the impending release of Cold Beer and Country Music…
Alexander Ellis, the man armed with a scorched guitar and a notebook full of troubled words and troubadours, is the man behind the Our Man In The Field monicker. This is a debut album that I’m so happy to have…
Bobbylene is the folk-pop lovechild of Bobby Katz and Marlene McCarthy. Two NYC-based musicians, they met while studying at NYU in respective jazz and classical programs. Now, they’re making slickly produced, heartfelt Americana as if they’ve been doing it for…
First, a disclaimer: Annie Dressner became a good friend after I first reviewed her for For Folk’s Sake, and I took part in her music video for ‘Pretend’, made under lockdown. Coffee At The Corner Bar is a continuing evolution…