Wrought Iron

Nancy Elizabeth

A folksome Florence & The Machine? Possibly. Nancy's sonorous sepia toned voice is certainly set amongst some equally dramatic settings: All manner of inventive percussion, strings, piano and brass follow Nancy across these wide melodic expanses.

After working with artists as diverse as James Yorkston and Susuma Yokota she's now developing a strong identity through a healthy, non-conventional approach to her own art. Pay attention.

www.nancyelizabeth.co.uk

Tree Of Souls

Landermason

Northeastern duo, Fiona Lander and Paul Mason, are back with more of their distinctively individual sound. Their claim that 'its folk that provides the theme but jazz determines the style' still holds true and the results could divide opinion such as marmite does.

The odd number loses out, sandwiched between the genres and not benefitting from either. Whereas 'Working Man' fares better with sinewy strength, bluesy riffs and vocal hollers. And their original 'Shipbuilding' is a striking ballad, skilfully honouring their region's loss of a noble trade, with telling words and a lyrically musical coda.

www.landermason.com/

Rising Road

John Jones

After 30 years with Oysterband Jones releases his first solo album. Very different to the sound of the Oysterband and very very good. Jones draws a talented bunch of friends together to back him on the 7 trad tracks and 5 new songs.

 

Rising Road feels as fresh as a Spring morning and marks a whole new direction for Jones. Too many highlights to list, but it's worth the price alone for his spine tingling rendition of Polly on the Shore alone.

myspace.com/johnjonesoyster

Across The Troubled Wave

David Ferrard

This album is an exploration of David's transatlantic roots - the title is taken from Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times Come Again No More' and - and the research and presentation is exemplary.

Recorded with Josh Goforth (producer/co-arranger/ instrumentalist) in the Blue Ridge Mountains the honeyed tone robs some of the material of a much needed edge, however, this project is a clear winner once the trad 'Once I knew A Pretty Girl' and 'Pretty Saro' have told their mournful tales.

www.davidferrard.com

Lighten The Dark

Kerfuffle

Subtitled as a 'Midwinter Album' a collection of Christmas and midwinter music. Imaginitive arrangements and Hannah James young yet old and wise vocals breath so much life into these songs.

Each release by this young band is better than the last, watching them develop is fascinating, musically they get more polished and inventive. Lighten the Dark will become one of the standard albums played every year at this time. Chuck Bing's Little Drummer Boy away and get this on instead...

www.www.kerfuffleonline.co.uk

Samson & Delilah

Samson & Delilah

Sam Lench and Anna Zweck have used their own relationship as a springboard for this release creating a tale of 'where their lives intertwine'. And so subtle is some of this self titled debut it's psych-folk whispers must be working on a subliminal level. But, after a period of tuning in, the boundary-free acoustica, and cleverness of it's central story, becomes vividly apparent and as radiant as a vase of Van Gogh's sunflowers!

myspace