Reviews
Elan
A confessed city boy, Gareth Bonello, aka The Gentle Good, wrote this album during a year-long residency in Wales’ Elan...
Reviewed by Elliw Iwan in issue: August/2025
Chamber Cairn
Jack McNeill | Jack McNeill & Charlie Heys
Recorded across two days deep in the Cumbrian landscape, and written, performed and produced by Jack McNeill on clarinet and...
Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: August/2025
All Smiles Tonight
We’ve yet to fully metabolise our experiences of the pandemic. We can relive facts of the time, list off the...
Reviewed by Olivia Cheves in issue: August/2025
Souffles
French-Syrian flute player and singer Jalal follows up her stunning 2023 album Healing Rituals with this set of wind duets....
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: August/2025
Give Water to Birds
Zöj are an intriguing Australian band who defy easy categorisation. Their name means ‘Couple’ in Farsi; they started as a...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: August/2025
Made Through Ritual
Founded by the American saxophonist James ‘Plunky’ Branch in the 1970s, Oneness of Juju would forge a soulful style of...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2025
Vaquero
Amaker is a deep-voiced Seattle-based country singer who claims David Bowie as his biggest influence, covers songs by Kraftwerk and...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2025
Angel
Cerys Hafana found a ballad from the Welsh National Library’s database about a man sent into a 350-year sleep by...
Reviewed by Rosie Esther Solomon in issue: October/2025
Local Spirits
Six-piece La Chooma weave together a heady blend of instrumental sounds on Local Spirits, their full-length debut. Built on layers...
Reviewed by Andrew Taylor-Dawson in issue: October/2025
Calima
Balimaya Project Meets Discos Pacífico All-Stars
With Calima, London based Afro-jazz fusionists Balimaya Project combine with Colombia’s Discos Pacífico All-Stars to celebrate the deep musical connection...
Reviewed by Andrew Taylor-Dawson in issue: October/2025
