ALSO RELEASED
Sam Sweeney
★★★★
The Unfinished Violin
ISLAND. CD/DL
Sweeney’s violin is a celebrity in its own right. Originally carved at the outset of the First World War but not completed for nearly a century, its dramatic backstory resulted in the ex-Bellowhead man’s brilliant theatre show and album Made In The Great War and now takes centre stage on a varied and even-handed collection of instrumental tunes, marches and laments from different parts of Britain and Europe evocative in some way of the Great War.
Kitty Macfarlane
★★★
Namer Of Clouds
NAVIGATOR. CD/DL
So many young artists seem to rush into the studio years before they are ready that it’s a revelation to hear a debut as mature and well-rounded as this. Kitty Macfarlane is a personable singer – not unlike Emily Portman in her economy of style – but it’s the depth of her songwriting that really catches the ear, not least with her captivating story of a Sardinian sea silk seamstress. Littered with natural sounds and often reminiscent of Karine Polwart, this overflows with class and promise.
Steve Ashley
★★★
One More Thing
MARKET SQUARE. CD/DL
This is Ashley’s swansong, apparently, and, if so, it’s a pertinent farewell, full of acidic commentaries on everything from the royals to George Clooney. Throughout his long career, his sense of social justice has barely wavered, but here – one man, an acoustic guitar (and harmonica) and two mikes in his living room – seething rage gives way to a weathered resignation. “Dare to question all you see,” he sings on the final track, Keep It Free And Easy. Amen to that.
John Smith
★★★★
Hummingbird
COMMONER. CD/DL/LP
Gruff of voice and lithe of guitar, Smith was once described by John Renbourn as “the future of folk music”. Many consider him a modern John Martyn, but he has sidestepped his prescribed destiny and continues to do so. Apart from the beautiful title track, a menacing Boudica and a cover of Anne Briggs’ The Time Has Come, he now applies his engrossing style to the folk tradition – Hares On The Mountain, Lord Franklin, Lowlands Of Holland et al – and the results are mesmerising. CI