Hair and Hide - The Trials Of Cato (09/11/18)

• Artist: The Trials Of Cato

• Release Date: 9th November 2018

• Genre: Folk, Folk-Rock, Welsh Language Folk, Tradition Folk

• Record Label: Water Records

• Tracks: 10

• Website: https://www.thetrialsofcato.com

• Review By: Gary Smith (LCM)

One very fastest rising Folk trio are the excellent Welsh based Robin Jones (mandolin, tenor banjo, vocals), William Addison (irish bouzouki, vocals) and Tomos Williams (guitar, vocals) better known as The Trials Of Cato. The band was formed in Beirut in the winter of 2016 and the name is taken from their long-suffering landlord. Originally from North Wales and Yorkshire the band used their time in Lebanon to hone their craft returning to produce their self titled debut EP at the Abbey Road Institute in London.

With a clear nod to the folk revivals of the 60’s and 70’s their excellent debut album is rooted in the folk traditions of Britain and Ireland but with a fresh contemporary twist. It was recorded in the spring of 2018 at Penylan Studios in mid-Wales. The album perfectly balances English and Welsh language traditional and original folk music with a fresh new twist. Their excellent instrumentals showcase their musicianship and arrangements.

The album was mixed by Donald Thompson in Toronto and mastered by john Davis of Metropolis Studios in London.

The album opens with Difyrwch their own arrangement of three traditional melodies (two Welsh and one English) Hen Ferchetan, Difyrrwch Gwyr y Gogledd and The Parson’s Farewell. ‘Kadisha’ takes it’s name from the spectacular valley in Northern Lebanon finds the band exploring and being inspired by a region peppered with monasteries and ancient buildings. The album is as much about characters as it is about places.

One of the album stand-outs is the catchy and uptempo ‘Gloria’. A very human story of an ordinary character trying to deal with extraordinary circumstances. In this case a beheading match with a supernatural character of the green knight. The slightly psychedelic and folk-rock Eastern influenced ‘Gawain’ draws into inspiration from the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. Watch out for a great version of ‘Tom Paine’s Bones’. ‘My Love’s in Germany’ is a seventeenth tune of a widow’s lament for a a lost soldier love seguing into the vibrant bounce of a stomping drinking and dance tune ‘The Drinkers’.

The Trails of Cato are a fantastic trio going places very fast. Watch out for them either on the festival circuit this year or one of their many sell-out shows.

Highly recommended.

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The Unfinished Violin - Sam Sweeney (02/11/18)

• Artist: Sam Sweeney

• Release Date: 2nd November, 2018

• Genre: Folk

• Record Label: Island

• Tracks: 16

• Website:

Midnight Sun - The Gothard Sisters (04/05/18)

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• Artist: The Gothard Sisters
• Release Date: 4th May, 2018
• Genre: Folk, Trad Folk, Celtic
• Record Label: Independent
• Tracks: 12
• Website: https://www.gothardsisters.com

The Waters And The Wild - Ninebarrow (20/04/18)

• Artist: Ninebarrow
• Release Date: 20th April, 2018
• Genre: Folk
• Record Label: Winding Track
• Tracks: 11
• Website:

Ninebarrow's immaculate close harmony sound is back in this 11-track album that exudes class and shows how their inspired songwriting is ever evolving. The Waters and the Wild sees original songs mixed with innovative arrangements of folk standards, all wrapped in lush, sensitive arrangements and flawless musicianship. The duo are experts at aurally painting vivid canvases and conjuring up atmospheric dreamscapes. To listen to The Waters and the Wild is a little like walking through the famous C.S. Lewis wardrobe and entering a world by turns sylvan, seasonal, disquieting, nostalgic, but always fascinating.

The Waters And The Wild

By Ninebarrow

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A Pocket Of Wind Resistance - Karine Polwart with Pippa Murphy (17/11/17)

• Artist: Karine Polwart with Pippa Murphy
• Release Date: 17th November, 2017
• Genre: Folk, Scottish Music, Singer-Songwriter
• Record Label : hudson Records
• Tracks: 14
• Website: https://www.karinepolwart.com/

Karine Polwart is a multi-award-winning Scottish songwriter and musician, as well as a theatre maker, storyteller, spoken-word performer and published essayist. Her songs combine folk influences and myth with themes as diverse as Donald Trump’s corporate megalomania, Charles Darwin’s family life and the complexities of modern parenthood. She sings traditional songs too and writes to commission for theatre, animation and thematic collaborative projects. Karine is five-times winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, including twice for Best Original Song.  

In association with The Royal Lyceum Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival 2016, Karine wrote, musically directed, and performed Wind Resistance, her critically acclaimed debut work for theatre. A poetic meditation on midwifery, ecology, sanctuary, and solidarity, it combines elements of memoir, essay, myth, sound art and song. Wind Resistance won the BEST MUSIC & SOUND AWARD at the CATS (Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland) 2017 and Karine was also been shortlisted for the BEST ACTOR 'Scottish Oscar' in the Sunday Herald Culture Awards.

Alterum - Julie Fowlis (27/10/17)

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• Artist: Julie Fowlis
• Genre: Traditional folk, Gaelic Folk, Scottish Music
• Release Date: 27th October, 2017
• Record Label: Machair Records Ltd
• Tracks: 11
• Website: www.juliefowlis.com

'Fowlis's ascent to international stardom, putting Gaelic folk on the world music map, is evidence that a sublime voice transcends language and culture' - Guardian

Julie Fowlis originally hails from North Uist in the Outer Hebrides and is now based in the Highlands of Scotland. Firmly established as a world music artist with a natural interest and ability to cross-over into other genres and styles, she will forever be known as the singing voice of Merida, the female protagonist in the Disney-Pixar Oscar/Bafta/Golden Globe winning movie 'Brave'.

During an impressive career spanning more than a decade, with multiple awards, accolades and four studio albums, she has until now, sung primarily in Scottish Gaelic. The Latin title of her fifth studio album 'Alterum' gently suggests that this record is a departure from what has gone before.

Wild & Wicked Youth - Kim Lowings & The Greenwood (08/09/17)

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• Artist: Kim Lowings & The Greenwood
• Genre: Traditional Folk, Contemporary Folk
• Release Date: 8th September, 2017
• Record Label: Greenwood Records
• Tracks: 12
• Website: https://www.kimlowings.com

Kim Lowings and The Greenwood are one of an excellent group of fast rising stars in UK folk. They are Inspired by the folk tradition but have a wonderful fresh contemporary twist. Live shows are an energetic blend of original compositions and traditional songs. Kim Lowings, Andrew Lowings, Tim Rogers and Dave Sutherland bring together their multi-instrumental skill and individual experience resulting in an innovative and sensitive approach to arrangements. The motivation is to keep the tradition alive and to share their own tales.

Their new 12-track album 'Wild & Wicked Youth' released on the 8th September is a revelation and we think it's the best one yet. Our LCM #TrackOfTheDay is a live version of one of my favourite tracks on the album the traditional 'The Cuckoo', with a new arrangements by Kim and new music by Kim's dad Andrew. 

The group began as a collective in 2011 with Kim and her Dad, Andrew, collaborating with Midlands musicians. Since then the Greenwood has become an established four-piece on the British folk scene. Their recorded work includes their debut album This Life (2012), EP Deepest, Darkest Night (2013) and their latest album Historia (2015) heralded as "beautiful and enchanting” by Living Tradition and "Absolutely captivating” R2 Magazine ★★★★

Kim Lowings and The Greenwood have a busy touring schedule with bookings at Folk and Acoustic Clubs, festivals and live music venues across the country. They have been billed alongside folk greats such as Dougie MacLean, Jackie Oates and Martin Simpson. Their reputation is growing and there are whispers along the grapevine that this group are one to watch out for!

Rosie Hood - The Beautiful & The Actual (16/06/17)

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• Artist: Rosie Hood
• Genre: Folk
• Released Date: 16th June, 2017
• Record Label: Rootbeat Records
• Tracks: 12
• Website: http://www.rosiehood.co.uk

'The Beautiful & The Actual' displays Rosie’s artistic progress and creative partnerships that have developed since releasing her eponymous E.P. in 2011. 'From A Furlong of Flight', lamenting an 11th Century monk’s unrealised dreams, effortlessly enhanced by the Barber Sisters’ strings arrangements, to the tragic traditional ballad 'Lord Lovel', sung in classic duo harmony style with Folk Award winner Jefferson Hamer, and 'Undaunted Female', the story of a bold young woman, simply accompanied by Emma Smith’s driving double bass, Rosie’s vocal holds these songs together. John Archbold’s poignant war song 'The Hills of Kandahar' features Ollie King’s sensitive melodeon playing, whilst the stark and haunting version of 'The Cruel Mother' is sung with Folk Singer of the Year nominee Emily Portman. These sparse accompaniments allow each track to breathe and for Rosie’s timeless singing to tell the stories that make up this superb debut album.

Rosie Hood a young folk singer from Minety in Wiltshire, is known for her strong, pure voice and engaging solo performance. A BBC Performing Arts Fellow in 2015 and a 2016 Horizon Award nominee at the Radio 2 Folk Awards, Rosie has become more than purely a traditional singer. Having started learning folk songs at an early age from her family, Rosie has a keen interest in the history of traditional songs, particularly those of her native Wiltshire, where she has spent time researching in the local archives and developing a broad repertoire of local songs. Rosie’s Fellowship year with the English Folk Dance & Song Society proved a pivotal point in her career giving her time and space to develop as an artist. The year saw Rosie develop her song-writing with mentor Emily Portman, hone her instrumental skills and even resulted in a transatlantic collaboration with New York based singer and guitarist Jefferson Hamer.

Jamie Francis - The Patient Neighbour (02/06/17)

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• Artist: Jamie Francis
• Genre: Americana, Folk Acoustic
• Release Date: 2nd June, 2017
• Record Label: TCR Music
• Tracks: 10
• Website: https://www.jamiefrancismusic.com

Jamie Francis (of Sam Kelly & the Lost Boys, The Changing Room, and Stark) presents his debut solo album. The album is led by Jamie's banjo, but also features fiddle and whistles from Toby Shaer (John McCusker and Heidi Talbot) and cello from Graham Coe (Jellyman's Daughter and Blue Rose Code). The tracks are a mix of Irish and Americian traditional tunes, as well as some original compositions by Jamie.

Jenn & Laura-Beth - Bound (20/11/16)

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• Artist: Jenn & Laura Beth
• Genre: Folk
• Release Date:
• Record Label: JBLB
• Tracks: 11
• Website: http://www.jennandlb.com/

Jenn Butterworth (guitar and voice) and Laura-Beth Salter (mandolin and voice) have each been a presence on the UK folk scene for a number of years. They were brought together by the close-knit and progressive Glasgow folk music community, spending lots of their time jamming an eclectic mix of folk music from across the globe, particularly the UK, Scandinavia and America. The years of playing together brought a deep affinity between the two artists; their rhythms lock tightly, their voices blend so closely that it's often hard to tell them apart. They have developed a natural telepathy: two musicians bound together. 

“Our brand new debut album, ‘Bound,’ is a representation of the last eight fantastic years of playing together. A snapshot of where we have come from and where we are now. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we have enjoyed playing and recording it.” – Jenn & Laura-Beth

Laura-Beth is a founding member of renowned folk band, The Shee, and has also toured extensively with bands such as Frigg, Shooglenifty and Dougie MacLean’s ‘The MacLean Project. In 2013 she was nominated for the MG Alba Scots Trad Awards Composer of the Year award after the success of her Celtic Connections commission and debut album, Breathe.

Jenn Butterworth is one of the UK’s foremost folk guitarists. She began her career touring worldwide with award winning Anna Massie Band, and has gone on to perform with well regarded acts such as Fiddlers’ Bid, Phil Cunningham and the highly acclaimed Songs of Separation.

Top Floor Taivers - A Delicate Game (28/02/17)

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• Artist: Top Floor Taivers
• Genre: Folk, Trad Folk, Scottish Music, Acoustic
• Release Date: 28th February, 2017
• Record Label: TFT Records
• Tracks: 10
• Website: http://www.topfloortaivers.com/

Top Floor Taivers are a young and fresh Glasgow based band performing traditional and contemporary Scottish songs and tunes. Coming from Scotland, England and Ireland, Top Floor Taivers combine stunning vocals with piano, fiddle and clarsach to create unique arrangements of traditional folk songs and tunes as well as their own compositions.

Nominated in the Up and Coming Artist category at the 2016 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards, Top Floor Taivers released their highly anticipated debut album A Delicate Game in January 2017. With unique arrangements of traditional Scottish songs like The False Bride, to contemporary Scottish songs like Princess Rosanna by Findlay Napier, and Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen, this exciting new album has something in it for everyone.

Since forming in 2013 the band have performed across Scotland and Ireland, with highlights including BBC Music Day, Stonehaven Folk Festival, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, and Celtic Connections amongst others. In 2017 they will be touring their new album and will be performing a tour of Germany in 2018.

Leveret - Inventions (15/09/17)

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• Artist: Leveret
• Genre: Traditional Folk, Folk
• Release Date: 15th September, 2017
• Record Label: RootBeat Records
• Tracks: TBA
• Website: https://www.leveretband.com

Leveret features three of England's finest folk musicians in an exciting new collaboration. Andy Cutting, Sam Sweeney and Rob Harbron are each regarded as masters of their instrument and are involved in numerous collaborations with a huge range of artists. Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.

Leveret's music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new, with original settings of ancient tunes sitting alongside new compositions by some of today's finest tunesmiths in the folk field. Their music is not arranged at all in the conventional sense: instead it is played entirely in the moment, combining consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity in a sound which feels both timeless and contemporary. The material may come from archive sources and manuscripts, but there is nothing academic or historical about the sound: it's warm, listenable, engaging and refreshing.

Fiddler Sam Sweeney is the current BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 'Musician of the Year', thanks to his work in Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy's Wayward Band, The Full English and his own Made In The Great War project. Melodeon genius Andy Cutting is a two-time winner of that award, and as well as his new trio with Martin Simpson and Nancy Kerr currently performs with Blowzabella, Topette, June Tabor, and Roger Daltry. Concertina wizard Rob Harbron is known for his work with The Full English (Best Group and Best Album BBC Folk Awards 2014), Emma Reid, Fay Hield, Jon Boden and others.

The English folk tradition has not always valued its instrumental repertoire as highly as some of our neighbours, and yet the tunes exist in their thousands in manuscripts and archives. For every tune in current circulation, there are dozens more that are waiting to be rediscovered, and Leveret's music has helped inspire a growing interest in instrumental music. A Leveret gig is a current and contemporary performance of English repertoire by three top-notch instrumentalists with deep roots in the tradition.