Reviews Search | Songlines

Reviews

Review of Instant Moksha – Mantras

Instant Moksha – Mantras

Sarves Thiru

Sarves Thiru

Rating: ★★

Sarves Thiru is a Malaysian-born singer now based in London. She’s studied Carnatic singing and says: “I hope that people...

Reviewed by Simon Broughton in issue: March/2024

Review of Early Home Recordings

Early Home Recordings

Sandy Denny

Earth Recordings

Rating: ★★★★

Recorded at home to her finger-picking accompaniment in Wimbledon in 1966 and 1967 – Denny's performing debut was at Kingston's...

Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: November/2024

Review of Alhambra by Night

Alhambra by Night

Jacco Muller & Victor Ghannam

Mihrab Records

Rating: ★★★

Alhambra by Night is the second outing for a musical collaboration between Dutch flamenco guitarist, Jacco Muller, and American oud...

Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: July/2025

Review of Masonolay i Cepo’

Masonolay i Cepo’

Outlet Drift

Wind Music

Rating: ★★★

The message is a celebration of Taiwan’s Indigenous culture. The medium is rock. Outlet Drift is a trio from Taiwan’s...

Reviewed by Liam Izod in issue: January/2026

Review of Ghazals and Thumris: From the Musical Heart of Budapest

Ghazals and Thumris: From the Musical Heart of Budapest

Pratibha Singh Baghel, Kavya Limaye, Deepak Pandit, The Budapest Symphony Orchestra

Sufiscore

Rating: ★★

Ghazal and thumri are wonderful poetic sung genres from northern South Asia, emerging out of 19th-century courtesan and Muslim traditions...

Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: May/2023

Review of Rough Romanian Soul

Rough Romanian Soul

ZMEI3

Six Degrees

Rating: ★★★

Record producer, field recordist and author Ian Brennan is an interesting character, going off the beaten track to record music...

Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: Aug/Sep/2016

Review of Pump Up the Radio

Pump Up the Radio

Projekt Rakija

Bol Boluje Records

Rating: ★★

Rakija is a delicious Balkan spirit, often distilled from plums or apricots, that is extremely potent. No Balkan meal is...

Reviewed by Garth Cartwright in issue: November/2015

Review of Sound the People

Sound the People

Red Baraat

Rhyme & Reason Records

Rating: ★★★★

Brooklyn-based Red Baraat are an international, bhangra-infused version of the brass bands that accompany Indian weddings and festivals. Their latest...

Reviewed by Maria Lord in issue: October/2018

Review of Collab

Collab

Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Sony Music Brazil

Rating: ★★★★

Afro-Cuban pianist Rubalcaba and Brazilian mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda combine to play this impeccable hour of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian jazz,...

Reviewed by Andy Cumming in issue: November/2024

Review of Kokoro

Kokoro

Sababa 5 & Yurika

Batov Records

Rating: ★★★

Tel Aviv-based quartet Sababa 5’s third full-length album in as many years is, in fact, a compilation of the A...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: August/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