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Review of Abundância

Abundância

Maria João

Galileo MC

Rating: ★★★★

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of her career, Portuguese singer Maria João is releasing one of her boldest records to...

Reviewed by GonÇalo Frota in issue: May/2025

Review of The Edinburgh Rollick

The Edinburgh Rollick

Ruckus & Keir GoGwilt

Ruckus Records

Rating: ★★★★

NYC-based Ruckus – described as “the world’s only period-instrument rock band” – have joined forces with violinist, composer and musicologist...

Reviewed by Tom Newell in issue: May/2025

Review of Ponda

Ponda

Patrick Bebey

Africa Seven

Rating: ★★★★

With Ponda, Cameroonian pianist and singer Patrick Bebey delivers a record that seamlessly fuses jazz, African tradition and Western folk...

Reviewed by Andrew Taylor-Dawson in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Moda Antiga

Moda Antiga

Lucibela

Lusafrica/Sony

Rating: ★★★

On this, her third album, the Cape Verdean singer hailed as a worthy successor to the great Cesária Évora focuses...

Reviewed by Tom Newell in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Héritage

Héritage

Songhoy Blues

Top of the World

Transgressive

Rating: ★★★★

A decade on from Songhoy Blues’ explosive debut Music in Exile, it’s probably time to stop calling the band from...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Salt River

Salt River

Sam Amidon

Top of the World

River Lea Recordings

Rating: ★★★★★

Recorded by Sam Amidon (guitar, fiddle), Sam Gendel (saxophone, synthesizer) and Philippe Melanson (percussion) in Gendel’s Los Angeles home studio,...

Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Ray and His Court

Ray and His Court

Ray and His Court

Mr Bongo

Rating: ★★★

The Ray in question is organist Ray Fernandez, and his Miami-based Court include his wife and two sons, along with...

Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Nefydd

Nefydd

Calan

Calan

Rating: ★★★★

Calan have had a lot of superlatives thrown at them: Cool Cymru, storming juggernaut, Welsh folk supergroup. And ever since...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: February/March/2025

Review of Cold Blows the Rain

Cold Blows the Rain

Bridget Hayden and The Apparitions

Basin Rock

Rating: ★★★★

This is a good period for ethereal and weird folk and traditional music, with acts like Milkweed seeing their idiosyncratic...

Reviewed by Glenn Kimpton in issue: February/March/2025

Review of AKKOR

AKKOR

Melike Şahin

Top of the World

Gülbaba Records

Rating: ★★★★

Best known as the lead singer of the Turkish retro psychedelic rockers BaBa ZuLa, Melike Şahin has now set out...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: February/March/2025

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