Three Chords and the Truth UK

  www.andrewcombsmusic.com Around forty minutes into the show's main set, Andrew Combs exclaimed 'that's my new record' and you could sense a weight lifting while evaporating into the spacious air of St. Lawrence's Church. What preceded came across as a redemptive stream of soul searching from a singer-songwriter plunged into the crossroads of an artistic career jettisoned into the lonely enclaves of enforced solitude. You hook up with artists like Andrew Combs for the cover to be lifted and agreeing to the terms and conditions. Ultimately riches reward endeavour and those checking him out in stand alone shows on the current tour get a staggering return for their pound and a show feeding off a dynamic shift of aura and intent. It is brave to open a set with a complete playing of a brand new album barely a couple of weeks into its commercial life. Even braver when this album takes your music to new places and diverts listeners from a trusted template. Adding to the s...

  Is this festival on a short road or a long road? Fingers crossed the latter applies. For an event not shy on flashing a brassy exterior, it is the steely inner sanctum of inclusivity that ultimately signposts the way to a successful destination in the eyes of many fans. Criticism will always fly in from all points of the compass, but the The Long Road can stand on the facts, evidence and response from a vast array of music fans planted across a wide hinterland of a somewhat specialist genre. Challenges appear and are met. Plans are made and largely kept. There is no other festival in the land that bravely throws down such a gauntlet, and it is this act alone that warrants success and some remnants of longevity.  Festivals have a dual existence of fostering collective companionship and forging a highly personalised journey. The former may thrive in static communities focussing on one stage, but the true soul of a multi-location event is the freedom to roam. With the latter in...

  www.faramusic.co.uk Powered from the northern outpost of Orkney, the latest release from Scottish quartet Fara reaches far and wide full of gusto, fervour and a peep into the future. A round dozen mixture of songs and tunes all framed with the panache expected from lauded folk acts puts the fuel into ENERGY ISLANDS, a release that invigorates and intrigues. The explicit title and a striking cover rinsed in modern art launch a theme built on self sufficiency and an island community successfully harnessing the rich natural source of wind, waves and even a little sun. Fara's full on bout of inspiration communicates through the music and channels effectively to the broad whims of a listener maybe not so versed in such ecological phenomena.  Interspersing rousing tunes led by fiddle and gentle piano accompaniment with exquisitely sung songs creates an enticing concoction. Folk music is at its best when it dutifully educates and entertains. Fara achieve, exceed and add another pro...

  www.darthjadea.com The first three solo albums for Jadea Kelly were on an even keel time wise, then like so many recent things - a bump in the road. Now that even keel is back in the context of the style and tone of her recent album. ROSES is a roll out of cultured placidity where reams of luscious indie style folk pop acts as a therapeutic agent. 13 tracks and 46 minutes of pure bliss present an acclaimed artist planted in the ethos of her twin bases of urban LA and rural Ontario. Kelly drew on some help from her Canadian compatriots to craft a record uplifting in tone and connectively warm. The old adage of serving some treats early in an album playlist is adhered here. The gorgeous floating vibes from opener ' Driveway' giving the album a melting start, effortlessly tumbles into the lingering subtle beat of ' Temporary Farewell' . Two lead off numbers to challenge the best. The cover depicting a striking electric guitar amidst a day either dawning or dusking is ak...

  www.willhoge.com Will Hoge is one of those artists that spans a vast spectrum. Equally at home in the mainstream Nashville fraternity as signalled by his smash hit that Eli Young took to great heights as playing grittier Americana settings as evidenced when he stepped in to headline the Maverick Festival a couple of years ago. The key is probably simple. He is just a good ole fashioned rock 'n' roller with an innate skill of being able to write incredibly strong songs. This back to basics stance is the rich backbone to his latest album. WINGS ON MY SHOES is Will Hoge right on the nose. To borrow a phrase from an astute fan - 'thoughtful, tuneful, sometimes tender and usually load'. For those of a certain disposition, there is a distinct structure to the ten-track / forty minute status of a record packed to the hilt with revealing nuggets. Hoge rarely wastes a moment of this succinct template as he blends the power of rock with the soul of sincere songwriting. There is...