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1 Fisherman’s Friends Sole Mates (The Orchard) Latest offering from Cornwall’s shanty crew is a mixed bag. Straight a cappel- la they’re brilliant; instrumentation when used is tastily managed; and they strike a credible balance between musicality and tourist-friendliness – except when occasional- ly overdosing on silly “me-hearties” cod-the- atricals.
thefishermansfriends.com
2 Bob Pegg The Last Wolf (Talking Ele- phant TECD401) About time someone resur- rected this treasure. The last recorded work – to date – of the folk/rock genius that is Bob Pegg. Five-star OTT gothic-rooted 18 certifi- cate ballads, include epic The Last Dance, in which the ghostly inhabitants of a drowned valley boogie on to Armageddon. Just bril- liant, own it.
talkingelephant.com
The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and bad (@) – which didn’t get the full-length treatment, contributed individually by a selection of our various reviewers cowering under the cloak of collective anonymity.
2 Various An Island Story: Biguine, Afro Latin & Musique Antillaise 1960–1972: Vol. One (Strut STRUT187CD) Entrepreneur- bandleader Henri Debs founded Disques Debs in the late 1950s to record the créole music of Guadeloupe and Martinique. This excellent set is the first of three volumes com- piling the label’s best, featuring early big band meringue, gwo ka, biguine and bolero, with archival photos, interviews and discog- raphy.
strut.bandcamp.com
@ Alba Griot Ensemble The Darkness Between The Leaves (Riverboat TUGCD1113). Excruciatingly awful hippie- vocalled twaddle that attempts to spin the psych folk of the Pentangle/Fariñas era with a bit of ngoni, kora etc. How on earth Toumani Diabaté got mixed up in this mess is any- body’s guess, but the name Albarn is men- tioned in the notes…
worldmusic.net
1 Birds Of Chicago Love In Wartime (Sig- nature Sounds) Bittersweet country-soul- roots from collective built around the inter- personal chemistry of vocalists Allison Russell (Po’ Girl) and Jeremy Lindsay (aka JT Nero). Original songs, shot through with a mellow, relaxed passion (though not without its rough edges) and rather tastily energised.
birdsofchicago.com
Birds Of Chicago
1 Various Artists Luz De Luna: The Best Boleros From The Costa Chica (ARC Music EUCD2776). Fans of Alvaro Carrillo or Trío Los Panchos, who appeared in dozens of films during the golden age of Mexican cinema, will recognise the tender repertoire of Mexi- co’s Pacific coast, as performed by Pedro Tor- res, Fidela Peláez, Chogo Prudente, Los Trea Amuzgos and Las Hermanas García.
arcmusic.co.uk
2 Cecilia Zabala The Color Of Silence (Acoustic Music 319.1582.2). Argentine singer-acoustic guitarist-composer Cecilia Zabala’s work with Baden Powell and Jaques Morelenbaum, and evident immersion in Brazilian popular song and the music of Vio- leta Parra, make for a fresh and captivating solo art-song outing.
ceciliazabala.com.ar
1 Chancha Via Circuito Bienaventuran- za (Wonderwheel). Argentine Pedro Canale serves up a heterogeneous percussive mix of Andean folk, dancehall, beats and electronic effects, global rave with a spiritual bent, some gaita perhaps, but assertions of cumbia influence are notional at best.
@ Angelique Kidjo Remain In Light (Kravenworks B07CZ4P3P7) Benin’s Kidjo redoes (sorry, ‘reimagines’) Talking Heads’ classic 1980 album in its entirety. And it really doesn’t work.
kidjo.com
1 James Duncan Mackenzie Sròmos (James Duncan Mackenzie JMMCD002). Isle of Lewis flautist and bagpiper’s second album contains entirely self-composed melodies and is a mellow jazzy take on the Highland tradi- tion. Mackenzie’s wooden flute and bagpipes are accompanied by drums, percussion, key- boards, guitars, bass, melodeon, banjo, man- dolin and fiddle.
jamesduncanmackenzie.com
1 Ntóni Denti d’Oro Batuque & Finaçon (Ocora Radio France C561132). The Ntóni Denti d’Oro ensemble (voices, guitar, one- string cimboa fiddle, percussion)was the last proponent of the batuque and finaçon ver- bal-contest and praise-song genres of Cape Verde, as cultivated by descendants of those who escaped slavery. Recorded in 1997; illus- trated notes in French and English.
editions.radiofrance.fr
1 Géza Frank & Jean Damei Event Hori- zon (Event Horizon 191924668138). Inspired by Irish/Scottish tradition, compositions by Géza Frank (whistles, uilleann-pipes) and Jean Damei (guitar) are immersed in electron- ic beats and soundscapes to create folk- infused electronic dance music. Fans of Asturian bagpiper Hevia or the Mike McGoldrick Band will enjoy this.
eventhorizonproject.com
@ Bill Lloyd Heavy Duty – Ballads Of The Unfree (Wildwood WILD CD 20171) A range of authentic and enterprisingly adapted songs that make a political point, presented by Cumbria-based singer and multi-instru- mentalist. A worthwhile exercise, but Bill’s instrumental proficiency is sometimes com- promised by singing that’s either strained or too literally heavy-duty.
billlloyd.co.uk
1 Maimu Jõgeda Pühendus (Maimu Jõge- da). Estonian piano-accordeonist plays her own compositions with a reflective feel. While she studies folk music at the Estonian Academy, they don’t show particularly Baltic roots, and are more part of a wider European folk-influenced music world. maimu.
jogeda@gmail.com
1 Méabh & Tiarnán Smyth Méabh & Tiarnán Smyth (Méagh & Tiarnán Smyth 191924562825). Méabh (fiddle) and Tiarnán (guitar, concertina, vocal) are a sibling duo from Co Armagh who perform traditional Irish reels, jigs, hop-jigs, hornpipes, barn- dance and slow ballad in a vigorous, rustic, old-timey style. Concludes with the beautiful slow air Moran’s Return.
cdbaby.com/cd/meabhsmyth
@ Terence Blacker Enough About Me (Talking Cat TCCD1801) Genially perceptive, sometimes quirky and offbeat, his songwrit- ing takes as obvious role models Thackray and Lehrer, with splashes of contemporary awareness à-la-Baynham or Digance. Little to inspire a revisit after initial mildly amusing play through.
terenceblacker.com
1 Little Jimmy Dickens The Singles Col- lection 1949-62 (Acrobat ADDCD3244). An early adopter of extravagantly fringed and rhinestoned stage garb, Dickens specialised in ultra-catchy schmaltz and novelty songs with titles like Stinky Pass The Hat Around and When They Get Too Rough (They’re Just Right For Me). Proper country!
discovery-records.com
1 Joshua Burnell Songs From The Sea- sons (Misted Valley MVR18A) York-based Joshua embarked on a year-long project to “arrange and digitally release a traditional song a week”; this CD gathers up just 10 of these (and four instrumental treatments). Thoughtful, respectful reimaginings, couched in old-school-brand folk-rock-meets-early- prog settings.
joshuaburnell.com
1 The Salts Brave (Braccan BRCD9001) Landlocked combo delivering a contempo- rary folk-pop slant to fresh rocking arrange- ments of salt-encrusted shanties and suchlike; they just about get away with it due to their brio, enthusiasm and energetic musicianship. But probably better as live entertainment than repeat listening.
thesalts.co.uk
1 Alan Catton Albion (Alan Catton) Col- lection of gentle (if somewhat samey) acous- tic-based instrumental vignettes by guitarist from Hull outfit Beggar’s Bridge. For the most part, inspired by his travels or historical episodes or legends.
beggars-bridge.co.uk
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