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Reviews

Review of To the Awe

To the Awe

Rachel Newton

Top of the World

Shadowside Records

Rating: ★★★★

With the same band she used for her award-winning Here’s My Heart Come Take It (drummer/producer Mattie Foulds, violinist Lauren...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: December/2020

Review of UPRIZE!

UPRIZE!

SPAZA

Mushroom Hour Half Hour

Rating: ★★★★

This soundtrack to the documentary film UPRIZE!, about the 1976 Soweto uprising, is the second release from the South African...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: December/2020

Review of From Ocean’s Floor

From Ocean’s Floor

Linda Buckley

NMC Recordings

Rating: ★★★★

Linda Buckley is one of the most eclectic, least categorisable composers Ireland has produced in recent years. As likely to...

Reviewed by Michael Quinn in issue: December/2020

Review of The Living Mountain

The Living Mountain

Jenny Sturgeon

Hudson Records

Rating: ★★★★

Jenny Sturgeon is quite the renaissance woman. The Aberdeenshirebased singer-songwriter has a PhD in seabird ecology and as well as...

Reviewed by Rob Adams in issue: December/2020

Review of Optimisme

Optimisme

Songhoy Blues

Top of the World

Transgressive Records

Rating: ★★★★

‘Badala’, the opening track on Songhoy Blues’ third album, is rather alarming – which of course was the band’s intention....

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: December/2020

Review of Tepid on My Trippin’ Heels

Tepid on My Trippin’ Heels

Naomi Randall

Aaahh!!! Real Records

Rating: ★★★★

Naomi Randall is a Cambridge native who debuted in 2013 with an album she shared with Tom Gaskall. Randall continued...

Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: December/2020

Review of Devil Told Me

Devil Told Me

Ruby Mack

Top of the World

Ruby Mack

Rating: ★★★★

Superb harmony singing, finely honed songwriting and a pointedly LBGTQ+ take on the acoustic folk and roots genre distinguish Devil...

Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: December/2020

Review of Ariyo (A Sight to Rejoice)

Ariyo (A Sight to Rejoice)

Kuku

Music Without Passion is Noise

Rating: ★★★★

The sixth studio album from singer-songwriter Kuku is a 16-track affair, wide-ranging in both musical and thematic scope and tied...

Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: December/2020

Review of Volume 3

Volume 3

QWANQWA

Qwanqwa

Rating: ★★★

If you’ve been paying attention to modern Ethiopian trad music over the past five-odd years, you will have come across...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: December/2020

Review of Simnadé + 4

Simnadé + 4

Pascal Diatta

Ghosts from the Basement

Rating: ★★★★

When this recording was first released as an LP on the Rogue Records label in 1989 it heralded the exciting...

Reviewed by Martin Sinnock in issue: December/2020

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