New releases last four weeks: Folk/Americana

Review: The latest offering from serial collaborator and cross-genre tastemaker Stephen O'Malley's Ideologic Organ imprint is a tender filigree bureau of acid folk sketches from Tokyo's Ai Aiso. Across seven tracks, she patiently meanders through broken and phased chord progressions, her simultaneously pure and wavering vocal lines forming elegant arcs over sparse beds of instrumentation and washes of room tone. Some tracks are bookended by applause, and it is this ostensibly 'indoorsy' atmosphere which lends the mini LP a great deal of charm; the delicate atmospherics seem to issue from an intimate and isolated space. Indeed, Bandcamp user Everyvillianislemons317 describes it as "The perfect album for a lonely night in the city." We're more than inclined to agree.

Review: Once nominated for the GRAMMY for 'Best Traditional Blues Album', blues and roots legend Eric Bibb delivers a brand new live album to the world, Live At The Scala Theatre, Stockholm, under license from Repute Records. Live at The Scala Theatre contains a selection of songs cherry-picked from Bibb's towering history as a musician, infused with the folk and blues tradition with more contemporary sensibilities. "Without a doubt," says Bibb, The Live at The Scala concert was "the most ambitious gig and recording project of my career." The performance features an all-star lineup of musicians including Eric's longtime collaborator, musical director and producer Glen Scott on bass, keys, drums and backing vocals; Olle Linder on drums and acoustic bass; Johan Lindstrom on pedal steel and electric guitar; Christer Lyssarides on electric guitar and mandola; we could go on.

Review: Diane Birch returns with that spellbinding voice - a transportive powerhouse packing a timeless quality that resonates through her music. The American recording world doing what it has always done so well, creating huge, heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating mini operas disguised as pop. Or, if you want to get technical here: soft rock, country, folk, r&b and soul. OK, so there are elements of funk and jazz, too, and the result is a heady brew that's pretty inescapable. Harking back to the balladry heydays, with shades of Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Carly Simon, to name but a few - in delivery and performance, if not necessarily tone - no matter where you're listening from it's going to be hard to forget this one.

Review: Country and folk fans alike take heed - Muireann Bradley is a startling new talent in country and bluegrass from County Donegal in Ireland. I Kept These Old Blues absolutely calls back to a golden age of Americana, but Bradley's Irish lilt comes through and entwines with her faithful Southern twang to make for an endlessly charming end result. Her playing is pitch-perfect, stripped to the bone finger-picking all the better to savour the songs and the way they're sung. Don't sleep on this limited coloured vinyl edition of this rough diamond of an album.

Review: The debut solo album by David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame, If I Could Only Remember My Name is an ironic title for an artist first striking out on their commercial own. But despite its faux-amnesiac title, this freak-folk opus is actually a striking claim to, not a loss of, personal musical identity. Following the success of 1970's Deja Vu with Stills & Nash, Crosby sought to expound on that album's methodology - hard psychedelic drugs, brushes with insanity, copious studio time - to produce a crisp, profound and multifaceted vision on the intersection of blues, folk and collective music-making, with every legend from Neil Young to Joni Mitchell to Graham Nash in tow. The highlight has to be, above all, 'Tamalpais High (At About 3)'.

Review: A third album of wonderfully intimate, idiosyncratic songwriting from multi-instrumentalist Stephen Gilchrist - formerly the Stuffy in the much loved Stuffy & The Fuses - in his Stephen EvEns guise. The name may be singular, but from the choir of voices singing the opening tune 'A Song For Europe' to the child's voice at the end of seafaring epic 'Hello Salty Salty', this is very much a community effort and feels like it, with Stephen's core collaborators Jimi Scandal (guitar) and Crompton Whesp (drums) joined by guests like former Curve/Echobelly bassist Debbie Smith, longtime Cardiacs keyboard player William D Drake and Hurtling/My Bloody Valentine guitarist and keyboard player Jen Macro. The mood palate is on just as grand a scale as the personnel list, from the Nick Drake-style acoustic guitar/strings interplay of 'Firefly' to the beefy hip-hop backbeat of 'BBQ Head & 7 Bells', a two part track, the first half dedicated to the joys of cooking in the garden, the second about paranoia and the threat of violence. Elements of psychedelia, some gorgeous analogue synth tones, a penchant for a quirky time signature and/or arrangement all add to what's already a very tasty concoction that anyone with an ear for a tenacious earworm or two will love.

Review: Trail of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell is a captivating journey through the heart of folk and country music.. Ferrell's rich and emotive vocals shine brightly throughout the album, carrying the listener through tales of love, loss, and resilience. With a style that seamlessly blends traditional folk with classic country elements, Ferrell delivers a collection of songs that feel both timeless and contemporary. Each track is imbued with raw emotion and authenticity, drawing listeners into Ferrell's world with its vivid storytelling and heartfelt lyricism. The instrumentation is equally enchanting, featuring acoustic guitars, fiddles, and subtle yet expressive arrangements that perfectly complement Ferrell's vocals. The production maintains a warm and intimate atmosphere, allowing Ferrell's voice to take center stage while still capturing the nuances of each instrument. This album has been receiving widespread acclaim since being released and in our opinion, it's definitely warranted

Review: Guitarist, composer and skateboarder Tommy Guerrero hears several of his earliest albums reissued now via Be With, of which 2008's Return Of The Bastard was his fifth. Still evidently deep in the throes of recording for the pure fun of it, this fifteen-track album reflects a pure lyricless enjoyment that few other of Guerrero's contemporaries could ever hope to share. Perhaps it's the meditative truck of his earlier skate career that course-corrected his frame of mind to pure creative meditativeness; here driving noisy drum machines, lightly-amped two-tones, the occasional kalimba and faint vocals all collide for the perfect accompaniment to an implied visual narrative.

Review: Magick Brother & Mystic Sister took inspiration for their name from a serial Gong album, and sure enough this Barcelona-based four-piece know exactly where they're aiming with their heavily psychedelic, tripped-out strain of cosmic rock. Following on from their self-titled debut, now the band are back with the first instalment of a two-part album release called Tarot - so far, so mystic. The groove on 'The Hierophant' is a great place to start in diving into the intoxicating headspace of the band, where some outernational instrumentation collides with the propulsive krautrock-informed rhythm section and the Canterbury scene's affinity for funk. It's a visceral trip no self-respecting pscyhonaut should be without.

Review: Meril Wubslin's fourth album, Faire ca, is a daring musical odyssey that ventures into uncharted territories with fearless creativity. Recorded in Kwake Bass' South London studio, this nine-track masterpiece defies genre boundaries, seamlessly blending blues, folk, post-rock, and dub to create a unique sonic landscape. Collaborating with Kwake Bass, known for his groundbreaking work with Sampha and Kae Tempest, Meril Wubslin fearlessly explores unfamiliar soundscapes. From the intimate blues and folk-inspired 'Grands Espaces' to the experimental fusion of 'La Main' and the electro-blues percussion of 'Famille Phare,' each track showcases the band's innovative spirit and exceptional musicianship. With its bold experimentation and captivating melodies, 'Faire ca' promises enduring musical rewards for listeners and solidifies Meril Wubslin's position as pioneers in the realm of avant-garde music. This album is a must-listen for anyone seeking a fresh and exhilarating musical experience.

Review: As part of a new looking back on German art rocker Nico's esteemed career by the indie label Domino, Desertshore chronologically follows The Marble Index, and is her third album, following the prior project's establishing her as an avant-garde artist with one foot in the mainstream, in stark defiance of the the prejudiced poo-poohs that followed her first (baroque pop) album, Chelsea Girl. Desertshore is more of a reconciliation of her prior two projects, bringing back the initial western pop sensibility while now firmly basking in a newfound weirdness-and-she-knows-it. From the opening dark waves of 'Janitor Of Lunacy' to the piano-balladic injection of sadness that is 'Afraid', this is another avant-garde masterpiece by the musician, never justifiably passed over.

Review: Nico's Marble Index was the first album to establish the German musician's home in the avant-garde; the story of the fashion model turned "legitimate" artist is as old as time, yet is rarely told today. In contrast to her first album, Chelsea Girl, which consisted almost entirely of pop chansons, Nico's sophomore LP here tracks nicely with her working introduction to John Cale in his harmonium era, drawing inspiration primarily from modern European classical music, not three-minute hookcraft. Long out of print, this slow-burner of a critical classic now hears a worthy reissue via Domino.

Review: Build Something Better by Grace Petrie, produced by Frank Turner, is a powerful statement on contemporary societal inequalities and injustices. With a blend of punk-folk elements, Grace's acoustic guitar and vocals shine, supported by Ben Moss' captivating fiddle playing and Stuart Proven's excellent drumming. The album tackles themes of alienation, political disillusionment, and the struggle for truth in a post-truth world. Tracks like 'The House Always Wins' and 'Meanwhile In Texas' confront hard-hitting issues with poignant lyrics and infectious musical patterns. Grace's songwriting ability shines through in tracks like 'King And Country' and 'Earthwire,' where personal relationships intertwine with broader social commentary. The album culminates in the title track, 'Fixer Upper,' offering hope amidst the existential threat of global crises. Overall, Build Something Better is a musically rich and lyrically profound album.

Review: Phosphorescent is recognised as something of a key player in the current indie scene. Based right now in Nashville, Tennessee, he has been away for the best part of half a decade but now makes a sweet return much to the delight of fans and critics alike. Back in 2022 his covers album Full Moon Project showcased all of his most prominent inspirations and influences with versions of music by the likes of Bee Gees, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone. The self-taught producer and a constantly inquisitive creative now goes deep on new record Revelator which is "a meditation on all that he's learned about life and all that is still unknown".

Review: Intractable bluegrass from the one and only Tony Rice. At this point, Craft Recordings' taste in reissues hardly warrants scrupulousness; this long out-of-print album documents a lesser-known period in Rice's musical career, after which his predominant bluegrass bent had already been established. With only a small cadre of personnel in tow - Rice on old-time strings and vocals, his brother Wyatt on guitar, and Bob Shumaker and Lim Lloyd helming up mixing and mastering duties - Church Street Blues is proof enough that you don't need much to make an evincing folk album, not least one that evokes the deepest emotes endemic to Louisville, Kentucky. Consisting entirely of reinterpretations of Rice's favourite folk songs, 'Church Street Blues' became an immediate fan favourite and today it remains a classic title.

Review: Though he was already famous, Either/Or is the album that made Elliott Smith great. Now Kill Rock Stars proudly present their newly reissued, expanded edition of the sensitive songster's crowning glory, this time including five live multi-track recordings from the Yo Yo A Go Go Festival in Olympia, WA in 1997, as well as three previously unreleased studio recordings, not to mention one B-side gem. The album was highly praised at the time due to several of its songs' lucky inclusion by Gus Van Sant in the classic drama movie Good Will Hunting, though the album's appeal goes much deeper than that, with Smith's melancholic, sombre voice soaring low above well-glued, unplugged pop mixes, though, typically for Smith, it still touches on existential, philosophical and neurotic themes throughout.

Review: Alan Stivell (Breton for 'gushing spring'), born January 6, 1944, is a French singer songwriter and musician. He campaigns for the recognition of the Breton people with their language, culture, and territory. He is, above all, a multi-instrumentalist: mainly Celtic harp, but also piano and keyboards, Irish flute, bombard, Scottish bagpipes and even percussion. Since the 1950s, thanks to his father's work, Stivell has helped revive the Celtic harp in Brittany; Renaissance De La Harpe Celtique does what it says on the tin; a thoroughly mystical and atmospheric album, the long-player comes packed with Celtic pentatonics, dewey field recordings, and, above all, mellifluous harp, all of which segue together to form an implicit instrumental picture of a Breton people in harmony with nature and spirit, making for a benchmark project in the Celtic folk revival of the 1970s.

Review: Nimbus by Sunburned Hand of the Man is a special journey into the band's enigmatic world, that is an ever-evolving experimental project. Recorded during a wintery week of sessions in Turner's Falls, MA, the album exudes a familial warmth and creative spontaneity as band members come together in a cozy setting to cook meals, reminisce, and make music. The album's sonic landscape is rich and varied, blending elements of psych-rock, spoken word, and instrumental improvisation. From the jaunty earworm Ishkabibble Magoo, featuring Phil Franklin's witty wordplay and infectious melody, to the haunting poetry-based pieces like 'Consider the Wound,' read by Peter Gizzi, the album traverses a wide emotional spectrum. Instrumental tracks like 'The Lollygagger' and 'Brainticket' showcase the band's musical dexterity, with dreamy synths, swirling guitars, and hypnotic rhythms creating immersive sonic textures. Each track feels like a sonic exploration, with layers of sound intertwining to create a captivating listening experience. Nimbus is a kaleidoscopic collage of sound and imagery that defies categorization and invites listeners to immerse themselves in Sunburned Hand of the Man's unique musical universe.

Review: Scottish band Texas have announced the release of their new album, The Muscle Shoals Sessions, which is a collaboration between Texas and American songwriter and pianist Spooner Oldham and was recorded at the renowned Fame Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album features 12 of Texas' greatest hits, reimagined with Oldham's delicate piano lines. The result is a stripped-back, timeless sound that allows each track to shine. The album also includes two covers: 'Would I Lie To You' by Charles and Eddie and 'Save The Last Dance' by The Drifters. Texas described the album as 'like nothing we've ever done before,' and it is sure to be a must-listen for fans of the band and lovers of classic songwriting.

Review: Much contemporary and so-called cosmic American music lacks true cosmic essence, appearing more as imitation than innovation. Trummors' fifth album, 5, defies this norm with refreshing originality and exquisite execution. With lyrics akin to Robert Creeley's poetry and melodies that feel timeless, songs like 'Hey Babe' captivate with fatalistic beauty. Lerner and Cunningham's harmonies, complemented by skilled musicianship, create a captivating atmosphere and subtly blend genre conventions. Despite its rapid creation amidst uncertainty, 5 exudes both weight and airiness, ancient resonance and contemporary charm. Trummors' achievement in transcending tradition with confidence and immediacy is truly remarkable.

Review: Delia Recordings is a new micro-label from Nottingham that launches into the world with this very tidy new album, Then Horizon Is On The Horizon. It's a various artists collection of absorbing works curated, mixed and produced by lifelong gear collector Matt Horobin and it comes on vinyl and CD and includes postcards. The tracks are all taken from three upcoming albums the label is working on by artists Brown Fang, Torn Sail and Shrinkwrap, and bridge the gap between the local evolving Balearic scene and Laurel Canyon escapism. Gentle grooves, downbeat dub and delicate drones all feature.

Review: Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, of Cramps fame, team up to deliver Leather Jackets and Diesel Smoke, a whopping 50-track compilation that documents their utmost personal favourite rock recordings, in the micro-veins of acid folk, rockabilly and psychobilly. We'll doff and eat our hats if both said punk legends' rising signs aren't Scorpio. With madcap performances from Donnie James with the Mighty Joe Houston Orchestra, Tall Tonio And The Mello-Dees, Chris Christian And The Chordaires, Elisabeth Waldo, Fred Katz and John Reedy and His Stone Mountain Trio among many more, this is a cavalcade of no-hit wonders, every last one of them a gem. Amounting to a contemporaneous account of the music that The Cramps heard and loved during their rise to notoriety, not to mention the lesser-known music that would've graced the halls of New York's CBGB club, of which they were favourite performers.

Review: The 1985 boxset is a comprehensive collection of The Waterboys' musical endeavors during that year. It features a diverse range of materials, including unreleased tracks, demos, outtakes, and live recordings. The set also includes a remastered version of their acclaimed album This Is The Sea. The boxset offers a glimpse into the band's creative process, with numerous alternate versions, song sketches, and covers. It also showcases the band's eclectic musical influences, ranging from traditional Irish folk to experimental rock. Despite its length, the boxset is a cohesive and engaging listen. The remastered This Is The Sea is a highlight, with Tom Verlaine's guitar playing adding a new dimension to the classic album. Other standout tracks include the previously unreleased instrumental 'Meridian West' and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Sweetheart Like You.' Overall, the 1985 boxset is a valuable addition to the collection of any Waterboys fan. It provides a comprehensive overview of the band's creative output during a particularly fertile period. The boxset also offers insights into the band's musical influences and their commitment to their craft.