Reviews
Songs of Truth
A plucked, multi-string instrument, the bandura is synonymous with Ukraine. For centuries, it was played by blind bards, the kobzari,...
Reviewed by Keith Howard in issue: January/2026
Eadarainn a’ Chruit: Between Us the Harp
Marshalsay’s second album focuses on the three different harps of Scotland (the lever harp, the wire-strung clarsach from the Gaelic...
Reviewed by Billy Rough in issue: January/2026
A’ Chailleach
Gaelic singer Kim Carnie’s A’ Chailleach is, to quote, “a concept record rooted in female folklore, spell work and hidden...
Reviewed by Billy Rough in issue: January/2026
Djelika
The loss of kora legend Toumani Diabate in 2024 was a tragedy for the world of music, but Chrysalis Records’...
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: April/2026
Vitamina Y
Described by Chucho Valdés no less as “a virtuoso”, the Switzerland-based, Cuban-born singer and violinist’s album, Erzulie, received five stars...
Reviewed by Mark Sampson in issue: April/2026
Pantakozak and Other New Yiddish Songs for Kids
Pantakozak and Other New Yiddish Songs for Kids brims with playful magic, and there’s no reason to withhold this from...
Reviewed by Celeste Cantor-Stephens in issue: April/2026
These Frightening Machines
‘Soften my gaze for a second’, Katherine Priddy sings in ‘A Matter of Time’, ‘a decade swings by’. Too true....
Reviewed by Julian May in issue: April/2026
Dlúth & Inneach (Warp & Weft)
I first saw The Weaving play a captivating set at the Hammersmith Irish Centre in May 2024; the Anglo-Irish trio’s...
Reviewed by Tim Cumming in issue: April/2026
Air Senegal
The Israeli-born Aylon won a Best Artist nomination in the Songlines World Music Awards for his 2021 album Xalam. That...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: April/2026
