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Review of Fontana Rosa

Fontana Rosa

Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18

Légère Recordings

Rating: ★★★★

Multi-instrumentalist Carwyn Ellis returns with an all-star Celtic/Latin line-up featuring Venezuelan percussionist Baldo Verdú, American drummer Shawn Lee, the Isle...

Reviewed by Chris Wheatley in issue: July/2025

Review of Divergence

Divergence

Freya Rae | Freya Rae & Louis Bingham

Mere Cat Records

Rating: ★★★★

Scottish multi-instrumentalist Freya Rae’s new album, Divergence, is a stirring collection of self-composed tunes that riff on traditional sets and...

Reviewed by Billy Rough in issue: July/2025

Review of Detrás da Serra

Detrás da Serra

Banda De Pífanos Caju Pinga Fogo

Banda De Pífanos Caju Pinga Fogo

Rating: ★★★★

The pífano is a type of fife flute that probably originated from Europe but was adapted using bamboo by the...

Reviewed by Andy Cumming in issue: August/2025

Review of Elan

Elan

The Gentle Good

Bubblewrap Records

Rating: ★★★★

A confessed city boy, Gareth Bonello, aka The Gentle Good, wrote this album during a year-long residency in Wales’ Elan...

Reviewed by Elliw Iwan in issue: August/2025

Review of Chamber Cairn

Chamber Cairn

Jack McNeill | Jack McNeill & Charlie Heys

Jack McNeill

Rating: ★★★★

Recorded across two days deep in the Cumbrian landscape, and written, performed and produced by Jack McNeill on clarinet and...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: August/2025

Review of All Smiles Tonight

All Smiles Tonight

Poor Creature

Top of the World

River Lea

Rating: ★★★★

We’ve yet to fully metabolise our experiences of the pandemic. We can relive facts of the time, list off the...

Reviewed by Olivia Cheves in issue: August/2025

Review of Souffles

Souffles

Naïssam Jalal

Les Couleurs du Son

Rating: ★★★★

French-Syrian flute player and singer Jalal follows up her stunning 2023 album Healing Rituals with this set of wind duets....

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: August/2025

Review of Give Water to Birds

Give Water to Birds

Zöj

Top of the World

Parenthèses Records

Rating: ★★★★

Zöj are an intriguing Australian band who defy easy categorisation. Their name means ‘Couple’ in Farsi; they started as a...

Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: August/2025

Review of Made Through Ritual

Made Through Ritual

Plunky & Oneness of Juju

Strut

Rating: ★★★★

Founded by the American saxophonist James ‘Plunky’ Branch in the 1970s, Oneness of Juju would forge a soulful style of...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2025

Review of Vaquero

Vaquero

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo

RodeoCorp

Rating: ★★

Amaker is a deep-voiced Seattle-based country singer who claims David Bowie as his biggest influence, covers songs by Kraftwerk and...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2025

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