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2 David Francey Late Edition (Greentrax CDTRAX366). Belated UK release for ex-pat Scot singer-songwriter’s newest collection of admirably honest, if wry, real-life observations. Here he explores his personal reactions to daily news stories in a typically open-hearted manner, with support from Fats Kaplin and Kieran Kane. Satisfyingly friendly, with that warm fireside glow…
www.greentrax.com
1 David Francey The First Set: Live From Folk Alley (Greentrax CDTRAX367). Newly licensed for UK release, this 2005 live set shows why this unassuming Canada-based Scot is highly regarded as a songwriter. Nine of his most characteristic creations (though not Saints And Sinners), complete with intro- ductory stories (usually longer than the songs themselves): entertaining, but really best for converts.
www.greentrax.com
2 Caetano Veloso Caetano: The Defini- tive Collection (Wrasse Records WRASS303). This is, if perhaps not “definitive” (who says so?), an expansive two-CD, 40–track compila- tion of mostly original compositions by a core proponent of MPB (popular Brazilian music), spanning the period 1967–2006. For Veloso, look no further for a broad introduction to his influential work.
www.wrasserecords.com
2 Various Artists/Dédé Saint-Prix The Rough Guide To Caribbean Café/Fruits De La Patience (World Music Network RGNET1281CD) 16 cherry-picks from Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Belize, Honduras, Curaçao Venezuela, Colom- bia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago – plus a bonus CD by Martinique singer-songwriter Dédé Saint-Prix. Notes in English and French.
www.worldmusic.net
2 Moulettes The Bear’s Promise (Balling The Jack BTJ07). To a large extent the brain- child of cellist Hannah Miller, the fluid seven- piece Moulettes purvey sonically impressive, ambitious, often consciously epic fantasy- folk-rock with an acoustic-prog tinge. They produce busy textures bustling with ideas and interesting sounds that reference classi- cal, gypsy, jazz, alt-rock and avant-garde; slick, while also most thoughtfully conceived.
www.moulettes.co.uk
@ Puzzle Root Square Pie (FSW 201). Oh dear, this is just not fun. Hovering between pretentious and intense, but always boring. Acoustic trio from Canada, banjo, guitar bass and annoying vocals.
www.puzzleroot.com
1 So So La Nu World Trash (Doo Bee Doo Records DBDCD001). Electro-oriental-beatnik- jazz pastiche, or an inter-cultural utopian vision of bewildering complexity? It’s hard to tell. The spoken word element is hard to take seriously, more preachy than poetic, its verbal jam more suited to the spontaneity of a gig than being perennially repeated on record.
www.doobeedoobeedoo.info
1 Chris Ricketts Outward Bound (Acous- tic Fusion AF02). Fast on the heels of last sea- son’s Port Of Escape comes young folker Chris’s second helping of rocked-up shanties. Staples of the genre (Rio Grande, New York Girls, Cape Cod Girls) are given a rollicking folk-rocky ‘battering’, emerging compara- tively unscathed. All just innocent fun (but Bellowhead it ain’t!).
www.chrisrickettsmusic.com
2 Hot Seats Feel (No label or cat no). Foot- stamping music from banjo-led outfit from Virginia mixing often witty originals with a few ditties sourced from old-time country music. Nice and quirky.
www.hotseats.net
2 Various Artists Borders Young Pipers (Scottish Borders Council, LTCD4004). Hugely talented young pipers Chris Waite and James Thomson play traditional Borders tunes on Border Pipe, Small Pipes and flute, with exu- berant and exciting accompaniment from Stewart Hardy (fiddle), Stevie Lawrence (bouzouki, guitar), Marc Duff (whistles) and Angus Lyon (accordeon).
www.lbps.net
1 Michael J Tinker Shores Of Amerikay (Regather Music REMU001). Sheffield-based Michael’s stock-in-trade is laid-back folk- Americana; traditional material works better than his overly-easy-listening originals, but his take on Poe’s Annabel Lee is gently effec- tive. Pleasingly homespun guitar accompani- ments are companionably supplemented by fiddle (Katriona Gilmore) with a modicum of percussion and bass.
www.michaeljtinker.com
@ Finbar Furey Colours (Dara TORTVCD1191). With his extraordinary malt shovel voice and proud history as uillean pipe pioneer Finbar Furey surely has a brilliant album in him. This, on the other hand, is sen- timental tosh spread on by the barrel. A duet with Shayne Ward? Another version of Blowin’ In The Wind? Really?
www.finbarfurey.com
Jidder
2 Jidder Music Of Skåne (Kapsyd KAPCD002). Wallander and The Bridge have brought TV stardom to Sweden’s southern- most county. Close to the rest of Europe, its traditional dance tunes include forms rare further north, such as engelska, quadrille and slängpolska. Singer/fiddler Maria Bojlund, wood-flutist Markus Tullberg and Swedish- bouzouki/ guitarist Gabriel Hermansson flu- ently animate shapely tunes and songs.
www.jidder.nu
2 Sue Brown And Lorraine Irwing The 13th Bedroom (Rootbeat Records RBRCD14). Expressive and inventive (and sometimes dis- turbing) vocal harmonies form the epicentre of this established Oxford-based duo’s fresh interpretations of English traditional song, with occasional admirably spare and undis- tracting instrumental enhancement (guitar, Appalachian dulcimer, shruti).
www.root-
beatrecords.co.uk
2 Jen Ord Many’s A Mile (Haystack Records HAYCD002, EP).Cumbrian-born, pure-voiced singer with classical training brings that and broader influences to bear on innovative piano-based settings of traditional songs, also a Rusby cover and – best of all – a sensitive unaccompanied rendition of Alistair Hulett’s Song Of A Drinking Man’s Wife. Intense, and intensely promising.
www.haystackrecords.co.uk
2 Various Artists Short, Sharp Shanties Volume 3 (WildGoose Studios WGS388CD). Final excellent instalment of project record- ing the repertoire of John Short of Watchet (he gave 60 shanties to Cecil Sharp – see fR341/2 for background). Brilliantly spirited singing (Jim Mageean, Keith Kendrick, Roger Watson, Tom & Barbara Brown, Jeff Warner, Jackie Oates, Sam Lee).
www.wildgoose.co.uk
1 Fairport Convention And The Band Played On (Secret Records SECDD053). Somebody really should have a word with the boys in packaging! You really do have to question the sticker “Features the classic tracks, Meet On the Ledge, Walk Awhile and Theme From Mash.” I rest my case! Straight audio lift from the video Live At The Marlowe Theatre.
www.secretrecordslimited.com
1 Various Artists A Highland Journey, Volume Two: Music In The Glen (Green- trax, CDGMP8014). Pete Clark (fiddle), Marc Duff (whistles) and Jack Evans (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin) play traditional tunes from the Highlands. This album is aimed at the tourist market, and will no doubt help to while away those long coach journeys to Aviemore.
www.greentrax.com
1 Lise Sinclair & Astvaldur Traustasson A Time To Keep (Own label, LISECD001). Beautifully-packaged collection of songs inspired by the Orkney stories of George Mackay Brown. Fair Isle singer-songwriter Sinclair’s breathy, contemporary vocal is given eclectic accompaniment by piano, fiddle, gui- tars, accordeon, mandolin and spooky har- mony vocals. A hypnotic cumulative effect.
www.musicinscotland.com
2 Karima Nayt Quoi D’Autre? (Ajabu AJABUCD019). Meticulously produced and realised Algerian pop songs form the début album of singer, dancer and actress. Lyrics cover a wide range of social and political themes, such as forced migration, the Algeri- an war of independence, the civil war, Pales- tine, motherhood and the current wave of uprising across the Middle East.
www.ajabu.com
1 Coyote Grace Now Take Flight (Mile After Mile 7 00261 34323 5). Gentle acoustic trio from Seattle. Original material, tidy, accomplished playing and singing, but noth- ing to differentiate from so many similar exponents.
www.coyotegrace.com
1 Loafer’s Glory Same (Arhoolie 542). Father and son, Tim and Patrick Sauber add instrumental life to a bluegrass outfit fronted by Herb Pederson who just never convinces as a lead singer. Smooth, tuneful, but all of the songs have been done much better by others.
www.arhoolie.com
2 Various Artists Lonesome Whistle – An Anthology Of American Railroad Song (Proper Box 168).What a simply mag- nificent set. 100 tracks over four CDs covering blues, country music, gospel and more from Rodgers, Carters and Johnson right up to Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry. Also enough obscurity to satisfy everyone. A musical gold- mine.
www.propermusic.com
1 Three Pairs Of Shoes Three Pairs Of Shoes (Rocking Chair Records, no cat no). Now here’s different! Dreamy, almost classical, acoustic strummers who think they’re Midlake, except they’re from Cardiff! Heck, despite the fact they’ve sent in as homemade a promo as you’ve ever seen, there is something amongst the surges, atmospherics and fog. Call it a hunch but an album would be quite intrigu- ing.
www.threepairsofshoes.co.uk
2 Various Artists Fado World Heritage (Universal Music Portugal 602527-969039). This two-CD, 40-artist Fado compilation ranges from the classic (Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo, Alfredo Marceneiro, Fer- nando Farinha…) to the contemporary (Mariza, António Zambujo, Cristina Branco, Ana Moura…). Rather superficial notes in Portuguese, French and (stilted) English translation, but no arguing with the musical quality.
www.universalmusic.pt
1 Various Artists Bluegrass (Putumayo 319-2). 13-track compilation from Putumayo . Odd choices of lesser known acts and low key performances. File under easy listening.
www.putumayo.com
Photo: Kate Visonj
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