The folking Store

UK folk and Americana music website folking.comWelcome to the folking store… All articles below contain direct banner links to the relevant Amazon web page for the featured product (usually the CD, Vinyl or download link for the press release or review).

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PARKER MILLSAP – Other Arrangements (OkraHoma OKRA004CD)

Three albums in, two of which have topped the US Americana charts, the Oklahoma singer-songwriter is expanding his musical horizons and looking to broaden his audience. As such, while there’s still country at the core, his latest outing, Other Arrangements, is a rockier and poppier affair. It’s also his first to ...
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THE MOONBEAMS – This Land (Moonbeam Records MBR003)

The Moonbeams band forms the core of The Moonbeam Collective, a multi-platform arts community based in the Yorkshire Dales. This Land, the band’s third album, is once again rooted in that landscape, linking up past and present, rural and industrial. Apart from the closing song - a jaunty lunge at ...
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HECTOR GILCHRIST – Gleanings (WildGoose WGS426CD)

Hector Gilchrist, as you will quickly discover, comes from Ayrshire but is much travelled. To misuse a common phrase, however: you can take the man out of Scotland but you can’t take Scotland out of the man. There is someone like Hector in just about every folk club: always welcome, ...
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CARDBOARD FOX – Topspin (own label, CARRIVICKSCD09)

Featuring the shared lead vocals of sisters Charlotte and Laura Carrivick (who also perform as a duo), with backing provided by Joe Tozer and John Breese, Topspin is the Bath quartet’s third release and second album, a meld of English traditional folk and American bluegrass influences built around the core ...
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HÒ-RÒ – Hex (own label)

Since their eponymous debut album two years ago, Hò-Rò have expanded to a six-piece with Paul Martin and DC Macmillan joining Calum MacPhail, Lucy Doogan, Sean Cousins and Crisdean MacDonald. Thus we have the cunningly titled Hex. The band talk about the melding of six musical styles but really it’s ...
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SKERRYVORE – Evo (Tyree09CD)

Skerryvore release Evo, their sixth studio album, on June 11th. You get an album to review and it’s a bit like sitting in the marquee at a festival – you’re sitting around or stretching your legs and waiting for the next band to come on stage, wondering what will turn ...
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FAIRPORT CONVENTION – What We Did On Our Saturday (Matty Grooves MG2CD055)

If you’ve ever been to a Cropredy Festival you’ll know exactly what they do on Saturday. They gather together a bunch of former band-mates and old friends and play a mammoth set long into the darkness (subject to health and safety restrictions, of course). These days, Fairport Convention don’t need ...
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VINNY PECULIAR – Return Of The Native (Shadrack & Duxbury SADCD013)

An album celebrating his return to his roots after years living in Manchester, with its heady dose of nostalgia and memories, borrowing the title from Thomas Hardy (and with a cover that sees him fork in hand to dig up old ground), Bromsgrove-born Alan Wilkes’ thirteenth album (fourteenth if you ...
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MISCHIEF AFOOT – Mischief Afoot (WildGoose WGS424CD)

Mischief Afoot are a trio of English musicians based in the Cotswolds and I think it’s fair to say that John Davis, Becky Dellow and Jeff Gillett are best known for the musicians they have worked with over the years. Their repertoire is largely traditional or tunes that have a ...
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VARIOUS ARTISTS – 1989 Newport Folk Festival (Air Cuts AC3CD8060)

Hats off to the Air Cuts label for this box-set of the Ben & Jerry’s 1989 Newport Folk Festival – a near 30 year old recording, made to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the original 1959 event. While in many ways, this release harks back to the boxed editions of ...
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The Ballads Of Child Migration on tour

With award-winning folk artists: John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, Boo Hewerdine, O’Hooley & Tidow, Chris While, Julie Matthews, John Doyle, Jez Lowe, Andy Seward and Andy Cutting Narrated by Barbara Dickson In November 2018, a collective of brilliant and respected musicians and singers are taking to the road to tell the ...
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JENNIFER WARNES – Another Time, Another Place (BMG 538358052)

I first encountered Warnes back in 1977 with the release of her eponymously titled Arista debut fourth album, prompting me to immediately seek out its 1972 predecessor, Jennifer, (her first two albums remain impossible to find), eventually interviewing her in Birmingham when she toured with Leonard Cohen in 1979. Aside ...
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JAKE WALTON – Silver Muse (CM0001)

Folk music, as opposed to singer-songwriting or the many facets of acoustic music, has a sense of place and history. It is defined by social context. Nevertheless, one small niche within the folk traditional defies the here and now and fosters the notion of a spiritual ‘otherworld’, a dreamy predilection ...
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MISHAPED PEARLS – Shivelight (own label MISSHAP04)

Four years on from Thamesis, the London septet return with an album that take its title from Gerard Manley-Hopkins’ invented word for the lances of sunlight that pierce a woodland canopy. Fronted as ever by German-born mezzosoprano Manuella Schuette with co-founded and producer Ged Flood providing the bulk of the ...
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MATTHEW BYRNE – Horizon Lines (own label MB060417)

Hailing from Newfoundland, the deep-voiced Byrne stands in the classic tradition of Canadian folk singers such as Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot and Ian Tyson, his third album sure to spread his name far beyond his native shores. Unlike those mentioned, Byrne is predominantly an interpreter of traditional song, opening here ...
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RURA – In Praise Of Home (Rura Music RURACD003)

Almost the first sound you hear is the voice of Steven Blake’s grandfather, James Russell, reflecting on his home in Montrose. Or rather the feeling of home, that sensation sailors used to call the channels, and that idea is really what In Praise Of Home is about. Later, we hear ...
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BOB DYLAN – Live NYC 1963 (Rox Vox. RVCD2130)

In early 1963, Bob Dylan was at the threshold of a career that would skyrocket him to previously unimaginable heights, in part, aided by his Freewheelin’ LP, released in May ’63. Although an implied ‘live’ recording, Live NYC 1963, is actually, more accurately, part of a radio broadcast from WBAI’s ...
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MISNER & SMITH – headwaters (own label)

The actor-turned-muso duo of Sam Misner and Megan Smith return with their fifth album, headwaters, due for release on June 25th, although it has been available in the States since October 2017. It is a little bit different from previous offerings such as Seven Hour Storm or Poor Player, and ...
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JON BUDWORTH – We All Share The Same Sky (Flying Folkie FF001CD)

Jon Budworth is a man of contradictions: a son of Lancashire who now lives in Yorkshire; a former rock’n’roller who discovered the joys of the acoustic guitar via Richard Thompson and became a singer-songwriter. The first impression of his debut full-length album, We All Share The Same Sky, is that ...
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BARRY NISBET – A Bright Ray Of Sunshine (Own Label, RRIG001)

Shetland singer-songwriter (and sailor) Barry Nisbet’s little box of delights, A Bright Ray Of Sunshine finally reaches the top of the unruly stack by the CD player. Although released in March, this absolute treasure chest of ten songs fully deserves to receive the widest recognition. Some expected themes - a ...
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TRACY GRAMMER – Low Tide (own label TGM180119)

Although Grammer released six albums with the late Dave Carter and a previous solo outing in 2006, this is the first on which she’s both singer and songwriter. Working with longtime guitar accompanist Jim Henry (who co-produced), drummer Lorne Entess, Paul Kochanski on bass and Chris Haynes providing keys and ...
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JACK CARTY AND GUS GARDINER – Hospital Hill (It’s Dinner Recordings/ MGM GLWCD07)

Australian musicians Jack Carty and Gus Gardiner collaborate to co-write Hospital Hill, which will be released on June 1st. While by and large, I would consider this a somewhat stripped back type of album, for the entirety of the record, Carty’s acoustic guitar and vocal takes are backed by a ...
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DÓNAL CLANCY – On The Lonesome Plain (Proper/Copperplate DCLPCD16)

Dónal Clancy is the son of Liam Clancy, and comes highly recommended by the likes of Archie Fisher and Martin Simpson. His forthcoming album On The Lonesome Plain has already garnered praise from such publications as fROOTS both for his singing and for his Celtic-styled guitar. Deservedly so. His singing ...
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Lucy Ward announces new album and tour dates

Pretty Warnings is the captivating fourth studio album from Lucy Ward. Rich with tradition and exquisitely penned original songs, this album weaves its way effortlessly through matters of love, darkness, longing and joy. It confirms what we already knew – that Ward’s unique ability to inhabit the very heart of ...
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PHIL MADEIRA – Providence (Mercyland Records. ML006)

Providence is the brand new release from one of Nashville’s most seasoned veterans, Phil Madeira. It’s jazzy, it’s bluesy and as you’d expect from a man with Madeira’s credentials, the musicianship on the record, is second to none. In April 2018, it entered Billboard’s Traditional Jazz Chart at number 12 ...
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PHANTOM VOICES – Peace By Peace (Wyre Records WR006)

Phantom Voices are a six-piece band from Lancashire, Peace By Peace being their second album. With five vocalists and eleven instruments to choose from their style doesn’t lend itself to easy categorisation. The opening ‘Lovely Joan’ is classic folk-rock with a country edge and an all-too-brief electric guitar break from ...
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Parker Millsap releases third album next month

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Parker Millsap will release his third full band album, Other Arrangements on June 15th via Thirty Tigers. The anticipated new release showcases the 24 year-old's evolution as an artist who continues to create music without the confines of genre. Other Arrangements spotlights Millsap's dynamic vocals on an original ...
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JILL JACKSON – Are We There Yet (own label JJR001CD)

Are We There Yet was released a few days ago on May 18th. The album was produced by Boo Hewerdine and has that classy feel you’d expect from “the wonderful man of magic” as Jill Jackson calls him on the sleeve notes. At the age of 22, Jackson had a ...
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Cowboy Junkies release new album and announce winter tour dates

Cowboy Junkies will release All That Reckoning, the band’s first new recording since The Wilderness (2012) on July 13, 2018 via Proper Records. Whether commenting on the fragile state of the world or on personal relationships, this new collection of songs encourages the listener to take notice. It also may ...
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Hò-rò announce new album and tour dates

Hex is the much-anticipated new album from Scottish outfit Hò-rò.  Winners in the ‘Up and Coming Artist of the Year’ category at 2017’s MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, the young band from the Scottish Highlands & Islands are releasing their second album Hex on Friday 25th May. Two years on from the release ...
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BRYONY GRIFFITH – Hover (Selwyn Music SYNMCD0009)

It’s funny how things go but there seems to something of a resurgence in English fiddle music at the moment. Hover is Bryony’s second solo album although these are in addition to her work with The Witches Of Elswick, partner Will Hampson and The Demon Barbers. Although mostly solo, Ian ...
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BLAIR DUNLOP – Notes From An Island (Gilded Wings GWR005)

No artist is going to say their latest album isn’t as good as their previous ones, but when Dunlop says he thinks Notes From An Island is his best to date, he’s not just spouting press release clichés. Again produced by Ed Harcourt, who also contributes bass, and featuring long-standing ...
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Rura announce new album and tour dates

In Praise of Home is the new album from four-piece powerhouse Rura. The Scottish outfit, described as one of the most exciting bands on the Scottish folk scene today, will release their new album on Friday 1st June 2018. With their last album (Despite the Dark) released in 2015, it ...
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CHRIS TAVENER – Is He Joking? (own label)

Recorded live over two sold-out nights in Manchester’s Three Minute Theatre, Is He Joking?, the debut album by satirical singer-songwriter, Chris Tavener is available now on CD and DVD. Cleverly, the show begins with an internal monologue (which the live audience are privy to) as Tavener tries to get himself ...
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GRETCHEN PETERS – Dancing With The Beast (Scarlet Letter/Proper PRPCD148P)

Having enjoyed her biggest success to date with the Ben Glover co-penned southern gothic ‘Blackbirds’, it is, perhaps, not too surprising to find echoes in Dancing With The Beast. In terms of narrative, the slightly swampy ‘Wichita’, which Glover also co-wrote and which features Jerry Douglas on Dobro, is another ...
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CATH & PHIL TYLER – The Ox And The Ax (Ferric Mordant Records Fe10)

Cath and Phil are based in the north-east – Phil is from Newcastle upon Tyne – but you wouldn’t know it from their music. Their greatest influence comes via Cath who was a member of Cordelia’s Dad back in the 1990s and has absorbed their take on traditional music from ...
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WILL FINN & ROSIE CALVERT – Beneath This Place (Haystack HAYCD012)

It’s not often that you hear British traditional music played on steel pans but that’s what you’ll find here. Will and Rosie are half of The Teacups, known for their unaccompanied harmony but on Beneath This Place, their debut album as a duo, they expand their musical palette The opening ...
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JOE SOLO – Not On Our Watch (own label)

Having issued the equivalent of nearly one recording per year since 2004, Not on Our Watch is the most recent release by the prolific folk-punk troubadour, Joe Solo. It’s a bigger sound than one of Joe’s live shows with the usual guitar, harmonica and percussion set-up being accompanied by fiddle, ...
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THE POOZIES – Punch (Schmooz SCHMOOZCD003)

I was amused by the quote from Eilidh Shaw (fiddle, vocals) who says that the Poozies are probably fortunate that the charge of witchcraft has gone out of fashion; otherwise they’d be in trouble. In Punch there’s certainly a mischievous mix of musical mayhem, spellbinding showcase instrumentals and probably some ...
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Olivia Chaney announces new album and London show

London-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Chaney follows up her 2015 Nonesuch debut, The Longest River, with Shelter on June 15th 2018. The album was produced by Thomas Bartlett (David Byrne, the Magnetic Fields, Sufjan Stevens, The National, St. Vincent, Florence Welch, Father John Misty, et al.) and features eight ...
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FRANK TURNER – Be More Kind (XtraMile Recordings/Polydor 6738173)

The globe-circling gigging machine and humanist that is Frank Turner might surprise some with his seventh solo studio album, Be More Kind. Fearlessly true to himself, as always, he embraces an ambitious new musical palette, while his smart, sharp lyrics display maturity in the face of an uncertain world. The ...
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JOSHUA BURNELL – Songs From The Seasons (Misted Valley Records MVR18a)

In late December 2015, quite possibly infused by a degree of festive spirits, the York folk musician (his voice not unlike Gerry Colvin) set himself the task of recording his arrangement of a different traditional folk song every week for the next twelve months reflecting the passing of the seasons ...
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RAY COOPER – Between The Golden Age & The Promised Land (Westpark 87368)

They say you only get one chance – this time I’m very grateful that I’ve had two. A couple of months ago a friend put Ray Cooper on about ten miles away from me and I couldn’t get to the gig because of a family event. Last week I got ...
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Caro Emerald announces autumn tour dates

Following 5 star reviews and sold out shows across the board, the gorgeous and stylish Caro Emerald is back with a brand new live UK tour for 2018. Since the release of the 2010 multi-platinum debut album Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor Caro Emerald and producers Grandmono have ...
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STEPHEN HARRISON – It Starts With The Soul (Word Poem Records, WP018)

Stephen Harrison is a something of a music industry veteran. From his early days as a teen, playing in Edinburgh’s post-punk scene and the electronic experimentation that followed, through rock and out the other side, he’s arrived back at the simple pleasures of one man and his acoustic guitar. It ...
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SCOTT MATTHEWS – The Great Untold (Shedio Records)

For a man so frequently brushed with greatness, singer-songwriter Scott Matthews does not quite yet seem to be a household name. Perhaps his sixth album, The Great Untold, will change that – it certainly has a broad, genre-defying appeal. Matthews’ CV is impressive: a 2007 Ivor Novello award-winner for his ...
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WILL POUND – Through The Seasons (Lulubug LULUBUG004)

The cover tells you most of what you need to know about this album. Will Pound, here devoting more of his energies to melodeon than harmonica, was brought up in the Morris tradition and is a long-time member of Chinewrde Morris. Through The Seasons is a project he has long ...
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Will Varley announces autumn tour dates

Will Varley is very pleased to announce he will be touring the UK again this autumn, with the majority of the shows taking place in seated theatres and venues. Varley celebrated the release of his fifth studio album, Spirit Of Minnie, with a packed out show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire ...
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LUKE JACKSON – Solo Duo Trio (First Take Records FTCD003)

Wow! Luke Jackson stepped on stage at Bramley’s Cocktail Bar in Canterbury and roared his way through a new blues-based song, ‘Fun Of It’ – it took my breath away even at this distance. Solo Duo Trio is Luke’s first live album featuring Andy Sharps as half the duo on ...
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Calan announce 10th anniversary album and tour dates

It’s 10 years since the masters of Welsh folk Calan released their debut album – Bling. It’s fair to say that during those 10 years they’ve blasted their way through the old traditions giving a fresh and contemporary sound to traditional Welsh music. Credited for their sparkling melodies, foot tapping ...
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