Three Chords and the Truth UK

www.ninebarrow.co.uk From their Dorset base, Ninebarrow continue to evolve as one of the most evocative acts on the folk circuit. The duo of Jon Whitley and Jay LaBouchardiere are clearly at one with the natural environment on many levels and this astutely filters into a sound spilling over with a sensual beauty. THE COLOUR OF NIGHT evokes a spell of tranquil artistry as we are guided through the mist of eleven tracks sourced, created and exquisitely presented.  Ninebarrow take their name from a Dorset landmark, but never refrain from prolifically sharing their music with folks in every corner of the land. Acclaim has tumbled their way across the first four album releases, countless shows and many innovative projects harnessing a passion. This fifth release continues the forward motion, and sinking into the delights of this enthralling piece of immersive art reaps a sense of unison and awareness.  The album is a mixture of a trio of covers; a traditional arrangement; five orig...

  www.christinamartin.net Even when you have been in the game making records for over twenty years, there are still quirky occasions when you can hook up with new admirers. The name Christina Martin appeared on my hinterland a few years ago without the necessary impetus to move into serious consideration territory. Meaningful interaction started to appear when taking a chance on her duo set with Dale Murray in the intimate backwaters of the Moonshine stage at this year's Maverick Festival. Her roots-infused style coupled with an engaging character and relatable humour marked the card for further investigation when opportunity presents. Almost two months on from that July evening, we have the latest Christina Martin album that possessed a magnetic appeal when lured onto relative listening devices. The intricacies of that intimate set were blown apart in the powerful whirlwind of a record with the most appropriate title. It is definitely a case of STORM by name and storm by nature as...

  Upon its arrival in 2018, The Long Road Festival instantly found the golden touch of curating a schedule right on the nose. The presentation of this event that appears to be moving from fledgling to established status champions many things past the music, but never loses sight that get the basics right and the rest will follow. Family may be an overused marketing term these days and it is ambitious to create ultimate unity between modern country music framed by Nashville’s main labels and left field roots artists fighting the corner of juxtaposition between progression and tradition. The level of success can be viewed through the slant of different lens but wholeheartedly in the agreement of positive experience. The breadth and wealth that surfaced in 2018 still shines brightly five years later as the Long Road cements its rehabilitation from enforced absences alongside a fortitude to conquer the knock back of last minute headline cancellations. Caleb Caudle Being an ever-present...

  www.stylusboy.co.uk Innovative, resourceful and resolute are three traits that underpin the work of Coventry-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Stylusboy. From this substantive base, music and song freely flow demonstrating a wealth of talent that bubbles away in the lowlights of the independent scene. Driving his latest project is a tie up with Good Neighbours, a local charity focusing on the issue of loneliness in elderly people. Many folks from this situation have a story and half to tell, so how could a songwriter resist committing half a dozen of these to tunes drawing sounds from an instrumental spectrum. BACK IN THE DAY is a simple explicit title housing a diverse parade of stories itching to find an outlet. Any short compilation benefits from a soaring track that leaps out to transcend the moment. ' Lift Your Voice' does the job here in a song built for the stage and those cohesive instances of ultimate artist - audience bonding. It would take a cold hearted soul not ...

  www.bethbombara.com It was a night at Tingewick Village Hall in 2018 that catapulted my interest in the music of Beth Bombara, thus highlighting how live performance can shed new light on an artist. On that Buckinghamshire evening, she was playing a show with Jaime Wyatt and in effect they were sharing the bill. Up to that point, there was a casual acquaintance via the 2017 MAP & NO DIRECTION album, but the deluge of new music and bands can be an unforgiving scene. In the wake of being mightily impressed by her set, there was a double whammy within the year of a new album that soared up the appreciation scale from the off. With EVERGREEN, the music of Beth Bombara had landed in its recorded status. The course of events between 2019 and 2023 inevitably infringed a majority of musicians. Patience for new music though has finally paid off with the release of IT ALL GOES UP, an album of distinguished guile and craft. A new venture for Beth Bombara in 2023 has been a tie up with B...

  www.fannylumsden.net Sample a slice of contemporary country from the last 20 years; mix in an alt edge; sprinkle a pinch of indie pop and the result: a rivetingly bright album that blossoms from whichever angle you take in its charms. Fanny Lumsden is an accumulator of tangible and verbal praise in a recording career that appeared to hit a high with the 2020 release FALLOW. That plateau may need to be revised when the traction of HEY DAWN motors on to listeners old and new. The latter is most pertinent as this Australian musician has Europe in her sights backed by a summer visit and seeking fresh ears via promotion. This brand new ten-track album will only need a minimal push as it bristles with a sound designed to court inquisitive souls seeking music that matters.  Alluring songs backed by a stellar soundtrack and a voice born to sing roll into a pleasurable single listen sitting where a varied tempo sweeps you up in an imaginative haze. Highs spring up on a daily basis un...