Reviews Search | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Allt Vol II: Cuimhne

Allt Vol II: Cuimhne

Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway & John Mc Intyre

Machair Records

Rating: ★★★★

This is the second outing for a supergroup connecting the pan-Gaelic traditions of Hebridean Scotland and Ireland. It unites Julie...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: April/2025

Review of Palaver

Palaver

Ebo Taylor | Ebo Taylor Jnr with Wuta Wazutu

Mr Bongo

Rating: ★★★

One of the most satisfying rediscoveries of the crate-digging phenomenon of recent years has been Ebo Taylor, the veteran Ghanaian...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: November/2019

Review of Parasol Peak

Parasol Peak

Manu Delago

Top of the World

One Little Indian

Rating: ★★★★

Since popularising the hang drum – a melodic percussion instrument, and cousin to the steel pan – at the turn...

Reviewed by Alex De Lacey in issue: December/2018

Review of Rearrange My Heart

Rearrange My Heart

Che Apalache

Free Dirt Records

Rating: ★★★★

Little wonder that the celebrated American roots banjo player Béla Fleck was so taken with this pan-American quartet that he...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: April/2020

Review of Calypsos, Boogies, Rockers, Ballads & Bluebeat: The Rise of Black Music in Britain

Calypsos, Boogies, Rockers, Ballads & Bluebeat: The Rise of Black Music in Britain

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Rock History

Rating: ★★

There has been a surge of interest over recent years in the roots of black music in Britain. The London...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: Jan/Feb/2014

Review of Silêncio

Silêncio

Claudia Aurora

World Village

Rating: ★★

It’s not very clear what Claudia Aurora’s trying to do here. But whatever it is, it doesn’t seem to work....

Reviewed by GonÇalo Frota in issue: March/2012

Review of Bright Field

Bright Field

The Rheingans Sisters

Top of the World

RootBeat Records

Rating: ★★★★

Bright Field is a strong follow-up to Rowan and Anna Rheingans’ excellent 2015 album Already Home(a Top of the World...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: May/2018

Review of Aspan

Aspan

Sababa 5

Batov Records

Rating: ★★★

For their second album, Tel Aviv-based instrumental group Sababa 5 move away from the rather self-conscious pan-global hotchpotch that characterised...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: January/February/2024

Review of L’immortel – The 60's Rumba Revolution in Congo

L’immortel – The 60's Rumba Revolution in Congo

Franklin Boukaka

Frémeaux et Associés

Rating: ★★★★

Despite being one of the most instrumental musicians in the rumba revolution that took place across the two Congos during...

Reviewed by Lucy Hallam in issue: October/2023

Review of Weapon of Choice

Weapon of Choice

Airileke

Top of the World

Wantok Musik

Rating: ★★★★

Airileke Ingram is a Melbourne-based percussionist/producer who's been omnipresent in the Australian world music scene since the mid-90s. Raised in...

Reviewed by Seth Jordan in issue: Apr/May/2013

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