Reviews | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Independence Ska and the Far East Sound

Independence Ska and the Far East Sound

Skatalites

Soul Jazz Records

Rating: ★★★★★

The Skatalites' brief original existence from 1963 to 1965 surely marks them out as one of the most influential bands...

Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: October/2017

Review of Caribbean in America 1915-1962

Caribbean in America 1915-1962

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Frémeaux et Associés

Rating: ★★★★

No niche is too specialist for France's Frémeaux label. This release contains a whopping 66 tracks. But then again, American...

Reviewed by Chris Moss in issue: October/2017

Review of Golden Boy

Golden Boy

Watermelon Slim

Dixiefrog Records

Rating: ★★★★

Watermelon Slim is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from Oklahoma. He's lived a varied life, including serving in the Vietnam...

Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: October/2017

Review of In Flow

In Flow

Jack Talty

Raelach Records

Rating: ★★★★

Irish concertina master Jack Talty here presents his first solo album, a well-considered collection of tunes. Jigs, reels, hornpipes and...

Reviewed by Tom Newell in issue: October/2017

Review of Ryan Young

Ryan Young

Ryan Young

Ryan Young

Rating: ★★★

This hotly tipped, er, young Scottish fiddler has won, and been nominated for a plethora of folk and fiddling awards....

Reviewed by Matthew Milton in issue: October/2017

Review of Live in America

Live in America

Oumar Konaté

Clermont Music

Rating: ★★

Over the last few years, Oumar Konaté has been making his mark on the Mali guitar scene, his guitar-bass-drums trio...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: October/2017

Review of Durrant y Ledesma

Durrant y Ledesma

Richard Durrant & Ismael Ledesma

Burning Deck Records

Rating: ★★★

The harp rose to prominence in the monkish missions of southern South America. In Paraguay, where rural society has survived...

Reviewed by Chris Moss in issue: October/2017

Review of Raivopyörä

Raivopyörä

Maija Kauhanen

Nordic Notes

Rating: ★★★

Maija Kauhanen has emerged in recent years as a strong new presence on the Finnish folk scene, first as a...

Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: October/2017

Review of Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa

Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Ostinato Records

Rating: ★★★★

Sweet as Broken Dates is a collection of Somali-language pop recorded in Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti from the 1960s right...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: October/2017

Review of Bright Phoebus

Bright Phoebus

Lal & Mike Waterson

Domino Records

Rating: ★★★★

An aura surrounds Bright Phoebus; this is the legendary, lost masterpiece of modern English folk. The Watersons sang traditional songs...

Reviewed by Julian May in issue: October/2017

Subscribe from only £7.50

Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Songlines magazine.

Find out more