Reviews Search | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Irakere

Irakere

Grupo Irakere

Mr Bongo

Rating: ★★★★

Grupo Irakere, as the Cuban all-star outfit was known back in 1976 when this second in Mr Bongo’s Cuban Classics...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: April/2024

Review of Médikamen

Médikamen

Corey Ledet Zydeo

Top of the World

Arnaudville/Nouveau Electric

Rating: ★★★★★

Now 15 albums deep, the music of Texas-born, Louisiana-living zydeco busker Corey Ledet remains as vital as ever. However, this...

Reviewed by Andrew Daly in issue: January/February/2024

Review of Usvyaty: Russian Music from Pskov Region in Modern and Archival Recordings

Usvyaty: Russian Music from Pskov Region in Modern and Archival Recordings

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Antonovka Records

Rating: ★★

This is a curiosity. We get relatively few recordings from Russia and as the title says, these are field recordings...

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: December/2023

Review of The Water Garden

The Water Garden

Kojun Kokuba

em records

Rating: ★★★★

Okinawa-born Kojun Kokuba’s The Water Garden was first released in 1993, and proved immensely popular, hence this vinyl reissue, complete...

Reviewed by Keith Howard in issue: November/2023

Review of Caracoles

Caracoles

Orquesta Akokán

Top of the World

Daptone Recording Co

Rating: ★★★★★

Six years after their Grammy-nominated debut on Daptone, the retro Cuban/New York orchestra’s third album hits another home run. Right...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: August/2024

Review of The Free Wild Wind & The Songs of Birds

The Free Wild Wind & The Songs of Birds

The Crooked Fiddle Band

Art as Catharsis

Rating: ★★★★★

Citing Norwegian chamber-prog band Meer and composer Bear McCreary as influences, The Crooked Fiddle Band’s new and lengthily-titled album comprises...

Reviewed by Tom Newell in issue: September/2024

Review of Rail Band

Rail Band

Rail Band

Mississippi Records

Rating: ★★★★★

Of all the dance bands to come out of West Africa in the first, fertile flush of post-colonialism in the...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: June/2024

Review of Congo Funk! Sound Madness from the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982)

Congo Funk! Sound Madness from the Shores of the Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Analog Africa

Rating: ★★★★

A simplified history of music during the period dubbed L’Authenticité in the Congo shows a period of heavily state-funded and...

Reviewed by Nik Hann in issue: June/2024

Review of Parenthesis, I

Parenthesis, I

Josienne Clarke

Corduroy Punk

Rating: ★★★★

Now with a number of bold solo albums under her belt and a successful record label, it’s hard to remember...

Reviewed by Devon Léger in issue: July/2024

Review of BLEU

BLEU

Ann O’aro

Buda Musique

Rating: ★★★★★

O’aro’s voice is breathtaking, heartbreaking. Gentle, but with great power behind it that occasionally erupts in a shocking flash… Her...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: May/2024

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