You are hereCD Reviews
CD Reviews
Album Review: Carlos Núñez - Discover (RCA Victor)31 March 2013 - 1:00amPerhaps best known for his collaborations with musicians as diverse as Sharon Shannon, Montserrat Caballé, Linda Ronstadt and The Chieftains, Spanish piper and flautist Carlos Núñez has long been justly praised for his entrancing technique and musical adaptability. His performances are steeped in energy and excitement, crossing cultures to vividly express the power and...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Blue to Brown - Blue to Brown (Remedy Records)31 March 2013 - 1:00amKinship in music has a long and rich history. The Carter Family, The Everly Brothers, The Bee Gees and The Jackson 5 all exemplified the phenomenon of sibling harmonies and the mysterious energy that can only spark from family collaborations. And if it's sparks that you're after, give BLUE TO BROWN a spin – the eponymous debut from a father and son duo with blues in their blood. Rob...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: The Stray Birds - The Stray Birds (Self Release)30 March 2013 - 8:00pmThis eponymous debut full-length release by The Stray Birds features eleven original songs that find plenty of scope for some delicious three-part harmonies throughout, the type of voices that seem to be made for one another. The special 'sibling harmonies' that everyone talks about in music circles just might have to include voices not necessarily from the same family, but from the same...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
EP Review: Blair Dunlop and Larkin Poe - Killing Time (Rooksmere Records)30 March 2013 - 1:00amThe respective musical careers of Blair Dunlop and the Lovell sisters seem to have been running in tandem over the last couple of years or so, with each musician developing at almost the speed of light. With each of them understandably somewhat uncertain about their respective musical directions, they have each been under no illusion about which way they want to go in terms of ambition,...By: Allan Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Nicole Maguire - What You Really Mean (IRL)29 March 2013 - 1:00amWith an album cover that's reminiscent of a Gram Parsons sleeve and a sound that's more Southern California than South Tipperary, you may be surprised to find that Nicole Maguire grew up in the little village of Conna, Ireland. Lean in a little closer, however, and you're likely to detect an Irish breeze in the flute-like voice of this angelic singer songwriter. With a little friendly...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Dave Kelly - We Had It All (Hypertension Music)29 March 2013 - 1:00amFor blues completists and fans of premier British bluesman Dave Kelly, WE HAD IT ALL provides a 'family album' of sorts - a scrapbook of unreleased tracks from a thirty-five year career, each featuring at least one notable collaborator. Being that the material herein has been cut and pasted from assorted studio tapes and live recordings, the quality is rarely pristine. But behind the snap...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Matt Woosey Band - On The Waggon (Self Release)26 March 2013 - 1:00amMatt Woosey's brand of the blues comes from the rubbing together of raw emotion and masterful technique. Armed with a clobbered Taylor guitar and a dusty voice, Woosey approaches his material with an impressive musical dexterity, but he never allows his proficiency to trim the rough edges it so clearly takes to perform these sincere blues songs. There is, after all, nothing worse than clean...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Simone Dinnerstein and Tift Merritt - Night (Sony)21 March 2013 - 1:00amMixing the delicate elegance of a curtain dancing in a breeze by an open window with the rustic allure of wood shavings tumbling across the scuffed beams of a porch, Simone Dinnerstein and Tift Merritt's NIGHT presents a poetic, operatic and enigmatic sweep of a uniquely arresting musical landscape. Providing the answer to the question 'What do you get if you cross a Julliard-trained...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Jimmy LaFave - Depending On The Distance (Music Road)20 March 2013 - 1:00amFor years, Austin, Texas has been something of a chief supplier when it comes to singer songwriters. Nancy Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson and Joe Ely have all slipped off the conveyor belt, as has Jimmy LaFave, whose first release in five years has just hit the shelves. DEPENDING ON THE DISTANCE is not simply a showcase of new and well-crafted LaFave originals such as Living In...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
Album Review: Trio Gitan - Moldavian Cafe (Self Release)20 March 2013 - 1:00amWhether conjuring up the atmosphere of a smoky Parisian cafe or giving us a blast of fresh Balkan air, Trio Gitan have that rather satisfying knack of transporting their audience with the power of musical suggestion. MOLDAVIAN CAFE provides an armchair tour of Eastern Europe via the violin of Andy Lawrenson, the guitar of Jack Burge and the accordion of Paul Carroll. And whilst these well...By: Liam Wilkinson |
 |
