Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.damienokane.co.uk Two Transatlantic titans clash on the banjo field for the second time in four years. In 2018 we had 71 minutes of BANJOPHONY, now we have the follow up with 55 minutes of BANJOPHONICS. Of course lengthy banjo instrumentals is a niche as you get on the folk circuit even if the exponents are as talented and acclaimed as Damien O'Kane and Ron Block.  For those a little partial to the mysteriously maligned twang, then sitting back to let the best pick and strum for your delight is not a bad place to be. Just when you get settled into a foot tapping groove, an earthquake appears in the form of vocals. Seven pieces into this thirteen track collection, Damien O'Kane bursts into song with the ' Endless Wanderer' . It probably doesn't define the album or knock the banjo too much out the way, but as a different dimension it works. Then out of the blue, they re-appear in ' Women of No Place '. Heady days indeed and now firmly planting the sound ...

  www.michael-mcdermott.com There are no half measures when Michael McDermott is in the mood to pour his heart and soul into a hefty project. Whether it was a lauded yet ultimately stuttering stab at the majors or a successful renaissance through The Westies and a string of solo albums, each release from this Chicago native saps, strains and eventually enthrals those willing to take up the challenge of diving deep in headlong. ST.PAUL'S BOULEVARD sees McDermott revving up the folk-rock engine before churning out a lyric-laden barrage of songs stirring into life any facets of passivity. A short intro turns the ignition before fourteen tracks take hold to whisk you on a journey where hope mingles with realistic despair. You will need to section off in excess of an hour to absorb this record that launches with the rollicking ' Where the Light Gets In' and ends in the pure escapism of ' Paris ', light years away from the...

  www.jasonmcniff.com Borrowed music has been around since year dot under a variety of guises such as covers, interpretations and renditions. Separating the art form of performing and writing can be an act of purity, although contemporary popular music has spawned the combo approach especially in the field of rock. Jason McNiff has garnered lavish praise over the years for both his guitar and songwriting skills. For his latest project he has parked the latter largely to one side and decided the time was right to turn his hand to covering or interpreting a batch of songs ripe for some Jason McNiff treatment. The result is TONIGHT WE RIDE, and certainly innovative enough to steer clear of the cliched cover. The title track is a fairly left field choice to kick off a commercial outing as Tom Russell has tended to appeal more to insiders rather than a wide world. Not that the wide world wouldn't be richer with more of this exceptional songwriter. The version here showcases the merits o...

Beardy circles will forever be in the folklore of this festival. However it was refreshing not to see a single one in sight as the future arrived in terms of stepping three years back. 2022 became 2019 for Beardy Folk Festival in one sense, but for the band of devotees it was the perfect reward for defying the odds twice with socially distanced stagings. This perfectly formed small event kept the flame of field gatherings flickering in September 2020 and June 2021 when all around was dictatorially hibernating. Now in a blaze of mingling, dancing and sitting where you like (not confined to Beardy circles), the hills of south Shropshire were once again cavorting to the many asides of what is loosely constructed as folk music.  Beardy Folk, the inspiration of one man supported by an incredible team, is a comprehensive three day event pivoting around thirty-six sets that tempt the dedicated listener to savouring each one up close and personal. There are the usual peripheral attractions...

  www.meredithlazowski.com An utterly gorgeous vibe akin to the most gentle summer breeze greets you in the opening bars of an intoxicating release that traps you in an ethereal haze. This is a record to get lost in and allow it to sonically massage your senses. Meredith Lazowski hits the spot big time curating a signature album to re-create mood-driven seductive Americana. A bubbling pot of steel, assorted strings and hypnotic beats guides through a blissful forty-two minutes of satisfying music. OTHER WAY HOME is a slice of creative heaven evoking so many feelings and nuances.  From the husky vocals to a backdrop slipping between cool electric and subtle roots, ten tracks blend into a sublime record that accumulates the capacity to make Meredith Lazowski a talent to transcend far from her inner circle. There are similarities in the way Caroline Spence expends her sound and that artistic journey has worked out well across the spectrum. All ten tracks are solo writes with the ...

  www.mamasbroke.ca Narrow Line by Mama's Broke www.willicarlisle.com Peculiar, Missouri by Willi Carlisle

  www.jessjocoy.com Occasionally you drop in on a show that reaffirms all your ideals about live music. To state that Jess Jocoy ticked all the boxes is merely the starting point. Straight out of Nashville and onto overseas' stages for the first time was more an opportunity than a challenge for a singer-songwriter not afraid to lay it all out in front of an audience seasoned in the spilled emotion of the travelling troubadour. There are also artists adept at treating each show as a curtain raising finale regardless of the situation. The Kitchen Garden faithful sensed all these facets from the recorded music of Jess Jocoy. In person there was so much more. This native of the Pacific North West, no doubt lured to Music City for the opportunity, used the age old small venue canvas of twin forty-five minute sets to pour her heart into a string of songs spanning three releases dating back to that ill-fated time of spring 2020. A debut album and sandwiched EP have now been joined by the ...

  www.hannahrarity.com The rare talent of Hannah Rarity came to the fore in these quarters last year among an array of likeminded contemporary performers that decorated a changing gig landscape. Her show at the Edinburgh Fringe previewed an artist possessing all the attributes to move freely in the circles of established performers such as Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Siobhan Miller and Jenny Sturgeon. This rare talent talent now takes a major leap forward with the release of a second full length album. TO HAVE YOU NEAR is a packed template of many folk factions that make this Glasgow-based and highly rated singer-songwriter tick. Starting right in the heart of her homeland, tentacles spread first across the Irish Sea before crossing the Atlantic. All in a Celtic whirl of music set to beguile and soothe an eager listener. This ten-track follow up to 2018's NEATH THE GLOAMING STAR reveals a multi-facetted hybrid artist comfortable in easing between traditional and contemporary style...