Neil McFadyen

Northern Lights – Dubh agus Geal

★★★★★
The best possible way to appreciate Northern Lights debut release ‘Dubh agus Geal’ and the wealth of creativity, imagination and study that’s gone into the creation of this masterpiece is to immerse yourself completely…

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Galia Arad – Ooh La Baby

by Neil McFadyen 27 December 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
Ooh La Baby is an album that is full of surprises – the biggest surprise being that Galia is yet to break through to the wider audience she deserves.

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At First Light – Idir

by Neil McFadyen 23 December 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
With Idir, At First Light have presented a hugely enjoyable collection of tunes and songs that will be treasured by listeners!

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Album Review: James Deane – Diamonds & Hearts

by Neil McFadyen 12 December 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
James Deane’s Diamonds & Hearts has some clever and effective lyrical approaches, a great voice, and a winning way with a guitar.

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Album Review / Interview: Three Cane Whale

by Neil McFadyen 24 November 2011 Features

★★★★★
Read our latest interview with Three Cane Whale, a multi-instrumental trio from Bristol with a fresh, innovative approach to music.

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Album Review: Iarla Ó Lionáird – Foxlight

by Neil McFadyen 22 November 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
Iarla Ó Lionáird proves he still can reach new levels of expression on his latest release ‘Foxlight’, which features a fascinating group of collaborators including Jon Hopkins.

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DVD Review: Karine Polwart – Here’s Where Tomorrow Starts

by Neil McFadyen 16 November 2011 Folk Music Reviews

Karine Polwart is at the very pinnacle of Scottish music. If ‘Here’s Where Tomorrow Starts’ is anything to go by, we can look forward to her reaching even greater heights in the future.

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John Doyle – Shadow And Light

by Neil McFadyen 2 November 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
John Doyle’s tenor vocals and finger-picking guitar are the cornerstone of Shadow and Light producing a driving, dynamic sound with incredibly intricate flourishes.

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Ahab – kmvt

by Neil McFadyen 27 October 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★
Ahab, who have been enthusiastically recommended by Bob Harris following their Cropredy 2011 appearance, release their latest EP kmvt.

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Harry Manx and Kevin Breit – Strictly Whatever

by Neil McFadyen 25 October 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★
Harry Manx and Kevin Breit have joined forces for the third time with Strictly Whatever, a follow up to their much admired 2007 album In God We Trust.

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Joseph Topping - Glenfarg Village Folk Club

Joseph Topping at Glenfarg Village Folk Club

by Neil McFadyen 7 October 2011 Live Reviews

Joseph Topping calls into the award winning Glenfarg Village Folk Club for a solo performance.

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Ry Cooder – Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down

by Neil McFadyen 26 September 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
With more than forty years at the forefront of American music Ry Cooder’s latest release ‘Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down’ sounds like a cue for a couple of characters from Steinbeck’s Tortilla Flat to kick back with a jug of cheap wine. But there’s far more on offer than some slick slide guitar and paisano chivalry.

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Robert Doyle – Life In Shadows

by Neil McFadyen 21 September 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
Robert Doyle’s fingerstyle guitar playing, and the guitar’s mesmerizing tone, are the main draws of ‘Life In Shadows’. His guitar style benefits from the influence of his former tutor, French-Algerian guitarist Pierre Bensusan and his emotional vocal performances owe much to the Sean-Nos style.

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Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers – File Under Fiction

by Neil McFadyen 19 September 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
File Under Fiction is the latest release from Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers. Findlay and writing partner Nick Turner have delivered a collection of songs full of earthy humour, hopeless love and biting satire.

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June Tabor & Oysterband – Ragged Kingdom

by Neil McFadyen 13 September 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
June Tabor and Oysterband have provided far more than a heady mix of traditional ballads and contemporary songwriting. The album raises the spirit and tears at the soul in turn. It takes all the artists involved in new directions, each and every one of them revelling in the exploration of uncharted territory.

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JuJu – In Trance

by Neil McFadyen 7 September 2011 Folk Music Reviews

★★★★★
On Juju’s latest release, In Trance, they don’t just dissolve the fragile boundaries between African tradition and rock – they demolish them with relish, they turn the walls upside down, they crash the gates open and set the inmates free. And the freedom is exhilarating!

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