Album Of The Week
Album Of The Week - 05/04/2025 - Track 2
Album Of The Week - 05/04/2025
Time – Roseanna Ball
We stay firmly rooted in the world of folk music this week with another Devon based artist.
Roseanna Ball came to my attention via the now sadly defunct Folk Blokes TV Folk Show that aired for a couple of years on one of the more obscure free to air TV channels.
Time is the fourth album from Roseanna Ball, released in 2016 and I must admit that although there are some very good moments on this record, I have not kept up with her subsequent releases.
That is not taking anything away from Time though as there is enough on the album for it to capture my attention. With her thoughtful lyrics, musical ability over an array of instruments and soulful voice there is plenty to enjoy.
There are hints of Americana within this album and its these influences that have drawn comparisons with Alanis Morrisette and some of the renowned American folk artists but as this is not a genre I know much about I cannot comment.
Roseanna is credited with working with such folk music luminaries as Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman and Phil Beer.
As mentioned above, Time is the only album I have Roseanna but after 9 years I think I will take a look at some of her other work.
My first selection is the opening and title track, Time.
Album Of The Week - 29/03/2025 - Track 5
Album Of The Week - 29/03/2025 - Track 4
Album Of The Week - 29/03/2025 - Track 3
Album Of The Week - 29/03/2025 - Track 2
Album Of The Week - 29/03/2025
The Granite Way –
Seth Lakeman
We return to my folk collection this week with the most
recent studio album from Devon based fold artist Seth Lakeman. Released only a
few weeks ago, on the 14th February 25, The Granite Way is the 13th
studio album from Seth, the second to be selected as my album of the week from
my collection of 16.
Coming from just outside of Plymouth, where I live, in a
small village on the edge of Dartmoor, there is a feeling that Seth Lakeman is
“one of our own”, a source of local pride. Like his brother, Sean who partners
his wife Kathryn Roberts, he still lives locally and is his wife works as a
nurse at our local hospital. Plymouth gigs for Seth always seem like homecoming
shows and he often comments he only has a few miles go to get back inside his
front door after playing at venues in Plymouth.
Much of his music is rooted in West Country folklore and his
breakthrough album, Kitty Jay from 2004 drew very much on the influence and
stories of Dartmoor, including the title track which has become a firm
favourite in his now extensive back catalogue.
The Granite Way, in the same fashion, also draws on West
Country stories and folklore and Seth has stated this album very much taps into
the same roots and influences of Kitty Jay.
The Kitty Jay album was my first introduction to Seth
Lakeman back in 2004 and in my opinion, this new offering is as good as
anything he has released over his 23 years as a solo artist.
For me, his best albums have mix of the up tempo foot
stompers alongside the emotive ballads that he delivers so well and The Granite
Way ticks these boxes perfectly.
You can hear the folk rock influences which have featured on
his best albums add the layers of variety, influences that for a while he put
aside with the albums Tales From The Barrel House and, to a degree, Ballads Of
The Broken Few (album of the week 08/07/2023).
No matter how good his recorded output is, its live that
Seth really excels and this album has that live feel with his current touring band
of Benji Kirkpatrick, Ben Nichols, Cormac Byrne and Alex Hart all featuring on
the album.
I have seen Seth live many times and only a few weeks ago,
on the 22nd February, Julie and I saw him play live at Exeter Cathedral
as part of The Granite Way tour and it was a superb gig. With the big crowd and
the acoustics of such a great venue the new songs from the album came across
perfectly.
On delving into this album over the last 6 weeks I would say
The Granite Way ranks as one of his best and keeps Seth Lakeman as one of the
major in artists in UK folk scene.
As the first UK Folk chart published since the release of
The Granite Way the album entered at number 6.
My first selection is typical Seth Lakeman, the up tempo
song Louisa, which tells the story of the Lynmouth lifeboat and a daring rescue
it carried out in 1899.
Album Of The Week - 22/03/2025 - Track 5
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There is a real feeling of beauty and melancholy with my latest selection from Someplace Else.
Laren U Freht Ona is a lament to a loved one with a song layered with keyboards, piano and cello, a gorgeous piece of music to pull at the heartstrings.
Album Of The Week - 22/03/2025 - Track 2
My second selection from Someplace Else is the track To Leave.
This was the song that introduced me to ShamRain and led to me buying this album.
There are shades of the Cure with this beautiful song and was a worthy introduction to the album.
Album Of The Week - 22/03/2025
Someplace Else –
ShamRain
There is a change of direction this week as we have my only
album by Finnish goth rock band ShamRain.
At the time of coming across this album I was delving a lot
into gothic and dark metal and this band came to my attention, via an internet
radio broadcast if I remember correctly.
As this is the only album I have by ShamRain I have nothing
to compare it to but in itself, there is a melancholic beauty to this album
with shades of progressive rock, akin to the direction Anathema were taking at
the time. There are also shades of Placebo and comparisons have been made with
Radiohead but as I know virtually nothing about them then I cannot comment.
The atmospheres on Someplace Else seem to be influenced by some
of the earlier output of The Cure, especially Faith, and its telling that
ShamRain have covered the Cure classic Charlotte Sometimes.
The pace of the album is slow, mournful with lots of emphasis
on keyboards adding layers of atmosphere to sparse, melodic guitars and clean,
well delivered vocals with some well placed ethereal female backing to add to
the mix. There is plenty of goth tinged sadness to lose yourself in with the
this album.
I have never pursued anything else by ShamRain but I enjoyed
this album when I first got it and playing again it now there is plenty to
enjoy with its 9 tracks.
Someplace Else, released in 2005, is the second of four full
length albums released by ShamRain alongside a few EP’s and although they are
showing as an active band there has been no album release since 2011. Also, there
official web page has closed down and there is very little activity on their Facebook
page.
My first selection is the album opener, Into Nothingness.
Album Of The Week - 15/03/2025 - Track 5
A little later than planned, my final selection from Night Of A Thousand Canldes is the song Scarlet Ribbons.
The song is the final one from the original release of the album and points to the celebration and loss from war. Its a very poignant song to close this excellent debut offer from The Men They Couldn't Hang.
Album Of The Week - 15/03/2025 - Track 4
Today's offering from Night Of A Thousand Candles is a song that to this day is TMTCH favourite.
Ironmasters was the second of the two singles released from the album and tells the story of a workers union standing up the authorities.
The single reached number 1 in the UK indie charts following on the success of their debut single.
Album Of The Week - 15/03/2025 - Track 3
My latest selection from this week's album is a track that appeared on the first CD release of Night Of A Thousand Candles.
Greenback Dollar is a cover of a song originally recorded in 1962 by American country/folk singer Hoyt Axton.
The song was released by TMTCH as a non-album single in 1985 then included in future releases of their debut album.
Album Of The Week - 15/03/2025 - Track 2
My second selection from Night Of A Thousand Candles is a cover of a 1976 folk song but over time its a song that has become engrained as a TMTCH classic.
Green Fields Of France is a moving song about a person addressing the grave of a young man who died in the First World War. It's a very visual and emotional song with one of the best lyrics I have ever heard in an anti-war song.
Album Of The Week - 15/03/2025
Night Of A Thousand
Candles – The Men They Couldn’t Hang
We pick up the pace a little this week but as has been the
case lately we have an album with its roots very much in the world of folk.
The Men They Couldn’t Hang (TMTCH) are a folk punk band that
we first delved into in August 2023 with the comeback album Never Born To
Follow.
This week we go back to the very beginning for TMTCH with
their debut album, Night Of A Thousand Candles. In many ways this is a groundbreaking
album in how it has a foot firmly planted in the realms of punk and folk and could
be seen as a template for the folk punk bands that followed.
There is a real working class feel to the album and the
general approach of the band throughout their albums over the years and it’s
the historical context that gives their music a folk appeal.
With Night Of A Thousand Candles there is a rawness and a
very “live” feel with singalong choruses and enough acoustic instrumentation to
see the obvious influence of the Pogues and it was a reference by Shane McGowen
that led to the band name.
Listening to this album in retrospect its interesting to see
the roots of the band as it was not until 1996 that I bought my first album by
the band after seeing them live on Plymouth Hoe.
Julie and I saw them again live in 2024 on their 40th
anniversary tour and what was striking is that the same conviction and
integrity is still evident despite the sad loss of founding member Stefan Cush.
As I look back through my albums by TMTCH its on their
second album, How Green Is The Valley, that really got into their stride and
polished off some of the edges of this release but that’s not in any way diminishing
their debut effort.
The album produced two singles including a superb and
immotive version of the 1976 folk song The Green Fields Of France which was
actually their debut single.
Night Of A Thousand Candles peaked at number 91 in the UK
album charts and number 1 in the independent album charts.
My first selection is the album opener, The Day After, a
song with a dark, apocalyptic lyric.
Enjoy
Album Of The Week - 08/03/2025 - Track 5
Bringing this week's album to a close is another beautifully melancholic piece.
At 8 minutes, the final track from Eden Roc, Exit is the longest track on the album with its slow, languid piano opening as it then opens to the strings to add layers to this wonderful song.
Its the perfect way to close this devine album from Ludovico Einaudi.
Album Of The Week - 08/03/2025 - Track 4
My penultimate selection from Eden Roc is one of my favourite tracks on the album.
At over 5 minutes Giorni Dispari is one of the longer pieces on the album and translates as Odd Days.
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My third selection from Eden Roc is of the more well known Einaudi tracks, Nefeli.
The name derives from ancient Greek mythology and means cloud, representing the ethereal beauty and essence of the formations.
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My second selecion from Eden Roc is the track Un Mondo A Parte (A World Apart)
This piece contains some of the more dramatic moments on the album but also balances this with some more lighter parts, highlighting the diversity of Einaudi's creations.
Album Of The Week - 08/03/2025
Eden Roc –
Ludovico Einaudi
We remain with the more subtle, gentler side of my
collection this week with the 1999 release, Eden Roc from Italian composer/pianist,
Ludovico Einaudi, the second of my 12 Einaudi albums to be selected.
Although he trained as a classical composer and spent his
early years composing traditional classical pieces he now divides opinion as to
whether his solo work can be classed as classical music at all.
As can be heard on Eden Roc and subsequent releases he incorporates
other styles and influences into his music but throughout his albums there is a
rhythm and tunefulness that makes the music very easy to listen to. Some
describe the simplicity of the music as being “minimalist classical” and falls
into the same category as the likes of Max Richter, Phillip Glass and even Avro
Part. What I find distasteful is the snobbery that comes from some classical “experts”
with their disparaging opinions and attitudes regarding Einaudi. Like any other
genre of music, classical is a very broad brush incorporating a huge range of approaches
and results.
As well as solo works Einaudi has also written music for
film and television as the cinematic appeal is evident on this and other of his
albums with its subtleness and ability to capture the attention whilst being quiet
and understated.
For me, the appeal is how, in my opinion, Einaudi’s music is
classical music for contemporary times and the sub-genre of “contemporary
classical” is one I have drawn tio in recent years. Contemporary Classical is deemed
to be music in the classical style released after 1945.
There is generally a slow, mediative pace to Einaudi’s
pieces and there is plenty of that on Eden Roc. The music often has a melancholy
to it that appeals greatly especially when the piano is accompanied by strings
and electronic effects.
Einaudi is an incredibly successful artist and as I wrote
for my Elements review on 12/11/2022, he is someone whose music many will have heard
without knowing who he is.
This week’s UK classical artists chart features 8 of his
albums and although Eden Roc is not one of them his albums are a constant on
the chart.
Eden Roc itself peaked at number 8 in the UK Classical Artists
chart and in total, to date, has spent 60 weeks on the chart.
I can easily say this is a good album to experience the
wonderful music of this captivating composer.
My first selection is the album opener, Yerevan, a shorter piece named after the capital of Armenia. There is an Eastern feel to this gorgeous piece of music which pulls the listener into the album.
Enjoy
Album Of The Week - 01/03/2025 - Track 5
My final selection from Hill Of Thieves is the closing track on the album, Fil, Fil a Run O.
This is a traditional Irish song which is delivered in the the Gaelic language of the island. It is believed to have originated in the 1700's and is a plea for the mother of a priest to return to the Catholic faith after switching allegiances to the Protestants.
One can see how even back then religious divides played a part in Irish culture.
This is a deeply moving song to close this excellent album from Cara Dillon.
Album Of The Week - 01/03/2025 - Track 4
My penultimate selection from Hill Of Thieves is the excellent track P Stands For Paddy (Lament For Johnny).
This is another traditonal song that has been covered countless times but what I like about this version is there is plenty of room for Sam Lakeman's musicianship to come to the fore.
Album Of The Week - 01/03/2025 - Track 3
My third selection from this week's album is the traditional song False, False.
The earliest record of the song goes back to 1962 and this folk ballad of love and betrayal has been covered by multiple folk artists such as Ruth Notman, Siobhan Miller, Kris Drever and June Tabor. I love this version though by Cara Dillon and her gentle vocal carries a sensitivity and fragilily that really breathes life into this sorrowful song.
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My second selection from Hill Of Thieves is a traditional song thats origin goes back over 200 years.
The Parting Glass is believed to have its roots in Scotland and refers to the final drink before parting following a gathering of hospitality. It has been sung, recorded and referenced throughout the world of folk music but this quietly beautiful version by Cara Dillon is something special.
Album Of The Week - 01/03/2025
Hill Of Thieves –
Cara Dillon
We remain in the world of folk music with Irish singer/musician
Cara Dillon and her fourth studio album, Hill Of Thieves, the first of my 7
Cara Dillon albums to be selected.
Although with deep Irish roots there is also a strong West
Country (England) connection now with Cara. Back in 1995 she joined West Country
folk group Equation which featured the Lakeman brothers, Seth, Sean and Sam
along with Sean’s wife Kathryn Roberts and renowned Yorkshire folk artist Kate
Rusby.
When Equation broke up, Cara continued to write and perform
with husband Sam Lakeman and she is now a major name in the British folk music
scene and do date has released 8 studio albums and 1 live album.
Released in 2009, Hill Of Thieves marked a return to music for
Cara and Sam after a break following the birth of their twin sons in 2006 who
were born prematurely and whose survival was uncertain at the time.
Musically, Hill Of Thieves was treated as an attempt to
return to a more a traditional approach and as such 10 of the 11 tracks on the
album are traditional songs with instrumentation lacking drums, bass, electric
guitars and vocal backing, as are now often used in contemporary folk music.
This approach gives the whole album a purer folk feel and
also allows Cara’s wonderful voice come to the fore which gives the lyrics
plenty of space to be heard.
Like last week’s artist, Julie Fowlis, Cara has such a clear
and distinctive voice that one can get lost in the vocals without actually
worrying about the subject matter of the songs themselves.
From what I can remember, Hill Of Thieves was the first Cara
Dillon album I bought after hearing a track on the Radio Two Folk Show. It was also
the Lakeman connection that stoked my interest as I was already very keen on
Seth Lakeman and his brother Sean’s partnership with Kathryn Roberts. My wife,
Julie, and I saw Cara Dillon supporting Seth Lakeman at a gig in Plymouth in
2014 and since then I have kept up with her releases as well as going into the
back catalogue.
Hill Of Thieves was a pivotal album for Cara and Sam as it
was released on their own label, Charcoal Records following their decision not
to renew with Rough Trade. The album peaked at number 69 in the UK album charts
and number 7 in the independent charts. The album also gained acclaim at the
Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2010 by being named as Album Of The Year.
My first selection from the album is then opening and title
track, Hill Of Thieves, the only original song from the release.
Album Of The Week - 22/02/2025 - Track 5
Closing this week's album is the final track on Gach Sgeul, the ethereal and beuatiful An Ròn / Ann an Caolas Od Odram (The Seal/In The Narrow of Od Odram).
The Seal song is sung from the perspective of a selkie, a shape shifting creature from Celtic mythology who can take the form of a human or seal.
The track is a truly gorgeous end to a fantasic album from Julie Fowlis.
Album Of The Week - 22/02/2025 - Track 4
My penultimate selection from Gach Sguel is Puirt-À-Beul Set: Fodor Dha Na Gamhna Beaga.
Roughly translated this selection means "mouth music set of tunes". This uptempo tracks shows off the vocal and lyrical dexterity of Julie Fowlis and along with the pipes near the end of the set its gives the song a lovely, light Gaelic feel.
Album Of The Week - 22/02/2025 - Track 3
My third selection from this week's album is the track that is probably my favourite from the album.
For me, Julie Fowlis is at her very best when delivering the slow ballads and laments and this one, Do Chalum (To Calum) just gushes with Gaelic feeling and beauty.
Album Of The Week - 22/02/2025 - Track 2
My second selection from Gach Sgeul is the track An Roghainn Dain Do Eimhir XXII.
This is a song where the lyrics are drawn from a poem called The Choice by Sorley MacLean and set to music by Capercaille founding member, Donald Shaw.
Without having the lyrics to hand, the beauty and grace of the song comes through perfectly.
Album Of The Week - 22/02/2025
Gach Sgeul (Every
Story) – Julie Fowlis
We stay rooted in Scotland with this week’s album, the
fourth studio album from acclaimed Scottish folk artist, Julie Fowlis.
Julie Fowlis was one of the earliest folk acts I came across
when I started taking a greater in the genre. In 2007 I bought her second
album, Cuilidh, and was instantly captivated by the tone of her voice and the
delivery of her original and traditional songs in the native Gaelic tongue.
Since then I have been a keen follower of her music and I
have all 5 of her solo albums plus the album Allt, by Julie alongside husband Éamon Doorley and Zoë Conway and John Mc
Intyre.
Cach Sgeul is a collection of tradition Scottish folk songs,
all delivered in Scottish Gaelic and collectively they capture an air of peace,
tradition and Scottish beauty.
As usual with Julie Fowlis, she is accompanied by some big
names in the Scottish folk scene, including husband multi-instrumentalist and
composer Eamon Doorley, Duncan Chisholm, Capercaille vocalist Karen Matheson
and the folk collective RANT fiddles.
Listening to acts like Julie Fowlis, Runrig and other acts
that sing in Gaelic, knowing the full meaning of lyrics is not always essential
and these ethereal vocals deliver their own atmosphere and meaning. However, I find
there is a real poetic beauty to be found in this wonderful language,
thankfully, a language that is kept alive in the Celtic nations such as Ireland
and Wales and even near me in Cornwall.
Gach Sgeul peaked at number 40 in Scottish album charts and
23 in the independent album charts.
As with all Julie Fowlis releases, Gach Sgeul is released on
Machair Records, an independent label run by Fowlis and Doorley as an outlet for
their music, giving the whole operation a real homegrown approach.
My first selection is the album opener A Ghaoil, Leig
Dhachaigh Gum Mhathair Mi (Love, Let Me Home To My Mother. This is typical of
the musical and vocal beauty and grace that Julie Fowlis consistently delivers.
Enjoy
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